The Local Studies Library holds a small number of maps relating to the Yorkshire area. For maps relating to the East Riding, particularly more recent ones, we recommend contacting East Riding Archives. For maps relating to North, West and South Yorkshire we recommended contacting the relevant archive services.
What kind of information do the maps provide?
Although limited in number, maps of Yorkshire provide an insight into the area from the reign of Elizabeth I to the first few years of the reign of Queen Victoria. These maps depict communities that until the 18th century were agricultural in nature. Urban centres such as Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield were small towns compared to the large urban areas we see today.
Moving into the 18th century places like Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield became increasingly urbanised, brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Yorkshire, like elsewhere was fast becoming a new rapid emerging industrial economy, which helped drive Britain’s Industrial Revolution.
New roads, improved through turnpiking, are shown on some maps in this series from the second half of the eighteenth century. Many of these roads still exist today. The Holderness Road, once an ancient highway from the 13th century and later turnpiked in 1745, is still in use today, and one of Hull’s major arterial routes. The same can be said of Beverley Road and Anlaby Road, while the A1077 still follows the line of the old Hull/Beverley/York turnpike. This is mirrored across dozens of roads in Yorkshire.
From early decades of the 19th century maps within this series show the fast growing rail network that sprang up. Villages became connected to towns and cities in the industrial north and beyond. Although a large number of lesser used lines were closed during the 1960s and 1970s, these maps show Yorkshire’s vast railway network stretching across the county which rapidly developed during the 19th century.
Lost towns of the Yorkshire coast can be identified. Auburn, Harburn, and Hyde along the Holderness coast are marked as being washed away by the sea.
Overall this series of maps shows Yorkshire as it moves from the early modern period through to industrialisation, and the subsequent changes and development that came with it.
Hull History Centre holdings
All our maps of Yorkshire are available to view in our search room. Some can be browsed via the map drawers.
Our holdings include:
- Saxton’s Map of Yorkshire (1577) Ref: L MAPS/6/1
- Illustrated map in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for the description of the River Humber and sea and sea coast from Hull to Scarborough (c. 1580) Ref: L MAPS/6/2
- Map of Yorkshire by Richard Blome (1670) Ref: L MAPS/6/6
- Map showing the continuation of the road from London to Flamborough by John Ogilby (1675) Ref: L MAPS/6/7
- New map of Yorkshire (1794) Ref: L MAPS/6/10
- Map of North, West, South and East Yorkshire by Cary (1808) Ref: L MAPS/6/14-17
- Map of Yorkshire by Pigot (1840) Ref: L MAPS/6/20
Copyright
Although some maps may be copied in their entirety, please contact us for advice in the first instance.