Bradshaw’s Railway Map 1839

A facsimile printing of this rare Bradshaw railway map from 1839.

Bradshaw's Map 1839

This classic nineteenth century map of Great Britain produced by the great 19th-century cartographer himself, Bradshaw’s map shows a high level of detail of settlements, roads and the railways which had been built or were under construction by 1839.

Originally a folded map printed on cloth – the map has been cleaned and joined together to form an attractive wall map measuring 34" x 55" (875x1400 mm).

Includes gradient profiles of many lines and an enlarged inset of London and is edged by thirty-four attractive ‘sections’ or gradient profiles of the principal railways.

Published 16th February 2012

£9.99

ISBN 978-0-00-748028-9

The BCS John C. Bartholomew Award 2012

Entries for the 2012 British Cartographic Society (BCS) Awards are required by the 31st of March. There are six categories of which two are for students or young mapmakers.

Collins Bartholomew and the Bartholomew family, jointly sponsor the John C. Bartholomew Award for excellence and originality in the field of thematic small scale cartography.  A £500 pound prize is awarded to the winner.

Past winners have been so diverse as to include a map of key battles during the American Civil War, an undersea map of the waters around New Zealand, a thematic atlas of China, a surnames map of Ireland and a classification of the world football associations.

Download the rules and an entry form: http://www.cartography.org.uk/downloads/Awards_JCBart.doc

Keith Moore, Head of Cartographic Services, Collins Geo

Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides and Maps

Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides and Waterways Map of Great Britain are the number one bestselling waterway resources, covering the entire network of canal and river navigations in England, Scotland and Wales, including newly restored and opened canals and rivers. The guides and map have been republished, fully updated, with extra information, for this, their 40th anniversary year.

The colour Ordnance Survey® maps within the guides clearly show locks, towpaths and boating facilities. There are comprehensive navigational notes as well as descriptions of the towns and villages, pubs and restaurants alongside the waterways, and details of navigation authorities. In addition, notes on the history and background to each canal are included in each guide, as well as opportunities for walking and cycling, and new for these editions, notes on the wildlife to be found along the waterways.

In print for 40 years, the Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides and Waterways Map of Great Britain have always been a vital part of journeys along Britain’s canals and rivers. They are ideal for anyone with an interest in Britain’s inland waterways: from experienced boaters to those planning their first boat trip, as well as walkers, cyclists and visitors. In the year of the ‘staycation’ these books are must-haves.

Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides cover the following regions:
• Grand Union Oxford and the South East
• Severn, Avon and Birmingham
• Birmingham and the Heart of England
• Four Counties and the Welsh Canals
• North West and the Pennines
• Nottingham, York and the North East
• River Thames and Southern Waterways
• Norfolk Broads

Also re-published, fully updated:
• Collins Nicholson Inland Waterways Map of Great Britain

"Taste in guide books can be a very personal thing, but few serious boaters will venture out without a Nicholson's Guide. There is a wealth of information that even the most experienced cannot hope to keep abreast of, and the guides are welcome valuable for cyclists and walkers too." The Inland Waterways Association.

Available to purchase from all good book shops and online at waterstones.com.

Finding Antarctica: Mapping the Last Continent Exhibition

‘In 2011 Australia celebrates 100 years of Australian expeditions to the Antarctic. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), which departed from Hobart in December 1911 and was led by Sir Douglas Mawson, was the first Australian-led Antarctic expedition.’

To celebrate this centenary the State Library of New South Wales has an exhibition ‘Finding Antarctica: Mapping the Last Continent.’  The exhibition focuses on the mapping of Antarctica from the 15th to the 21st century and the story of the discovery, exploration and charting of this frozen South Polar Continent.

The maps displayed include the Antarctic Regions: Maps showing present state of research 1898 where the name Antarctica is shown clearly across the southern continent.  This map was produced for the Royal Geographical Society by our predecessor J. G. Bartholomew F.R.S.E at The Edinburgh Geographical Institute, for John Bartholomew & Co.  It is one of the first maps to show the name Antarctica, the first use of this name on maps is attributed to the cartographer John George Bartholomew.

The Naming of Antarctica

Collins Maps blog Map of the Month: Jul 08 - Antarctica

Highlights from the Bartholomew Archive The naming of Antarctica

National Library of Scotland, Scottish Maps Forum Cairt July 2008 extract

The exhibition runs from 3 Dec 2011 – 19 Feb 2012 in Sydney.  If you can’t make it in person then explore the maps and information via the library’s website.

Scotland the Best

The true Scot's insider's guide to the very best Scotland has to offer.

Whether you live in Scotland or are visiting, why settle for anything second-rate when you can be guided to so much that is superb? Peter Irvine's personal guide points you towards the best places to stay (whatever your budget), the best beaches, the best ice-cream, the best hill walks, the best bakers, the best spooky places, the best seafood, the best places for kids, the best ceildhs, and so the list goes on.

Scotland the Best

However well you know Scotland, Peter Irvine will guide you to something excitingly new. That's why it remains the only guide to Scotland that the Scots themselves buy. Scotland the Best was first published in 1993. Since then its reputation has grown and it has been widely praised in reviews, won awards from the Tourist industry and, above all, delighted readers from all over the world. And it’s also sold close to 250,000 copies!

In this new edition, every recommendation has been reassessed to see whether it is still worthy of inclusion, and the selection criteria has become even more stringent. Clear colour mapping from Collins Bartholomew and website links for all entries, a new look to the cover, plus an exciting new picture section and new chapter intros make this a more vibrant book to have as your companion.

Quirky, personalized and informed, Peter Irvine's guide gives you what other travel guides only claim to - a true Scot's insider's guide.

Reviews

'the book is also a gospel, a love poem to Scotland and a patriotic tract' The Observer

'Nobody tells it better…All that's wonderful about Scotland is in the book' Daily Express

'Infallible and quite brilliant' Daily Telegraph

'Makes all other guides to Scotland redundant' The Sunday Times

'Apart from a clever structure and the highest journalistic standards, this book is a joy. The clever thing about such opinionated copy is that pretty soon one picks up the character of the writer, and thus can get a much more accurate and tactile impression of a place than from so-called even handed reports. This book can only enhance the pleasure of visiting or living in Scotland' Amazon

Paperback edition out now

eBook (published 5 Jan 2010)

Great Review of Times Mapping the Railways

Mapping the Railways

Great review of The Times Mapping the Railways: The journey of Britain's railways through maps from 1819 to the present day from Amazon’s #1 reviewer Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan".

See his comments Illustrated history of British railway maps

Rod Peel on his inspiration and ambition for The Times Extreme Survivors

Since that day when I dug my first snow hole as a schoolboy in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland, I became absolutely fascinated by human survival. How human beings can survive in harsh climates, how lost explorers would travel for days without food and water. I avidly read and collected every account I could. This was easy because my father, as a history teacher, had a vast collection of old books, and amongst these were epic tales of survival at sea, in war and captivity.

Like the journey of the James Caird by Shackleton's Expedition from Antarctica to the Island of South Georgia - an incredible feat of seamanship. Had the 3 man crew not taken turns to chip away frozen lumps of sea water from the boat every few hours during the 24 hour trip, it would have sunk. There were other stories as well, for example, the Mutiny on the Bounty is well documented from the mutineers' standpoint, but the fact that Captain Bligh sailed 4000 miles without charts and instruments is incredible.

One key thing that I felt would complement these stories would be an accurate map of the journeys that these survivors made. Surely I was not the only person who was curious about where the young Lt Farrah Hockley actually escaped after the battle of the Imjin River, and how far he travelled on foot behind enemy lines? What route did he take? Why did he decide to abandon travelling at night?
And the famous Cockleshell Heroes - what aspects of their escape contributed to the survival of Blondie Hasler and Bill Sparks? Could it have been small details like the fact that they never looked at any of their sketch maps in public, but kept them concealed in the palms of their hands, memorizing portions of their journey so to a casual observer they would just seem to be local labourers going about their business?

So this idea of a book that “mapped out” these extreme survivals was born, indeed a book of maps of each amazing survival. It certainly was difficult to decide on which stories to include - we think we selected some of the most gripping accounts, both modern and historic, but only you, as the reader can judge.

A review of The Times Atlas of London from John Davies, writer for Sheetlines, the Journal of the Charles Close Society.

Lovers of London and maps have been treated to several excellent publications in recent times. Simon Foxall’s Mapping London and Peter Whitfield’s London: A life in maps have been particularly well received. Now Times Books has produced yet another treat with this magnificent volume, the latest title in the prestigious Times Atlas series.

Unlike Foxall’s and Whitfield’s books, this is indeed an atlas, with 1:65,000 maps of greater London and 1:10,000 street maps of inner London. But hardly an atlas for every day navigation – and certainly not one for carrying around. The large page size (12½ inches by 10 inches), heavy paper and substantial binding create a sturdy tome weighing some 2.5 kilos. But resting securely on the coffee-table, this is a book that will be referred to and pored over with delight for years to come.

The book offers a cornucopia of maps, pictures and stories about many aspects of London, as promised by the sub-title the story of a great city through maps, history and culture.
The modern mapping is by Collins Bartholomew, another part of the HarperColllins empire, and, oddly, is the only less-than-totally-satisfactory feature of the book. Given the wealth of colour and detail on other pages, the outer London maps, in shades of pale grey, pale green and white, lack impact and, worse, lack any indication of terrain or land form.

The book is arranged in sections, starting with reproductions of famous historic maps such as Ogilby’s Britannia, Snow’s Cholera map, Booth’s Poverty map, Beck’s tube map and many others. London in Context, the next section, looks at the physical geography – with maps, old and new, charting such features as flood risk, geology and climate – and social and economic affairs, illustrated with statistics, photographs and charts. Successive sections deal with the growth of London, reproductions of historical views, a comprehensive chronology and a gazetteer of place-names and their meanings.

The main part of the book is organised geographically by borough, interspersed (slightly confusingly) with thematic features. Thus we get, for example, the sequence Croydon, Public transport, Ealing, Universities, Enfield, Roads and so on. However, the borough chapters are a delight, each a double-page spread with statistics and stories of famous residents, notable buildings and interesting events, lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs. Particularly fascinating are the series of ‘then and now’ maps and views.












A book such as this is inevitably out of date almost as soon as it appears, but care has been taken to include the very latest developments (such as Stratford City, opened just a week before publication date!) whilst a chapter on Future London describes buildings and transport links still to appear.

John Davies


The Times Atlas of London, Times Books, 2011, 304 pages royal quarto, hardback in slip case, ISBN 978-0-00-743422-0, £50

Collins Country Factfile ebooks

Know Your World with these accessible ebooks full of facts and stats, available on the Amazon Kindle store and iTunes.

Collins Factfiles are packed full of statistical information on topics such as history, people, government, economy, geography, communications and transportation.

Graphics are included to support the statistics, and historical and present day mapping of each country is presented alongside the in-depth data.

All information included in the eBooks has been carefully researched and sourced from the latest authoritative sources. Each factfile opens with a snapshot overview of the country from which you can drill down to the more detailed information outlined within each chapter.

The easy-to-read format lets you explore each country, its identity and how it has changed over time. Divided into five chapters, they focus on the main geographical, demographic, economic and environmental aspects of the country and its people.

Features in the ebooks include*:

• Easy navigation from page to page or topic to topic
• Searchable content
• Tap on images for greater detail
• Alterable type/background style to suit personal preference
• Navigation from table of contents to specific topics of interest
• Bookmarking





*some features may not work on certain platforms

Manchester and Sutton Coldfield Historical Map Books

Mapseeker Archive Publishing with maps from the Collins Bartholomew Historic Map Archive has just published their latest historical map and guide books covering Manchester and Sutton Coldfield.

The Environs of Sutton Coldfield was launched at the Waterstone’s Bookshop in Sutton Coldfield.

The Mapseeker team

The Historical Books collection sets out to cover all the counties of England and Wales, containing all the borough surveys and reports for each respective county. Mapseeker have re-created and re-published the plans and reports along with the inclusion of many period views and vistas for individual boroughs. The final chapter in each book concludes with the arrival of the railways and includes early railway maps and guides used by the early Victorian traveller.



The Environs of Sutton Coldfield



Sutton Coldfield Guide

Towards the end of the 16th century and the turn of the 17th century, a small market town in the Hemlingford Hundred was flourishing once again, after emerging from a period of decline. The early maps clearly illustrate the town as "Sutton Cofeld" or "Sutton Colfelde". A number of maps at the turn of the 18th century present the town as "Sutton Cole field". Maps from these centuries illustrated in this book also refer to "Cofeld Wast" and "Cofield Wast", a landscape of sparsely wooded heath land scrub and gorse, water-logged or arid, left after many of the trees had been felled for charcoal burning.  The informative text, old views of Sutton Coldfield and historical maps present an informative guide to the colourful and rich history of the Royal Town and its neighbouring communities.

The Guide to Manchester 1927



Manchester Guide 1927

The Atlas and Guide of Manchester 1927 has been published with the kind permission of Collins Bartholomew Ltd and the book dedicated to J .G. Bartholomew who published the original pocket guide back in 1927. By this time Manchester was one of the largest manufacturing cities in the country, and like many cities Manchester attracted many visitors. By now the majority of people were utilising the established railway networks to explore and visit far off places, tourism would become the new vogue, and the privileged few could drive their new motor cars. John Bartholomew, fifth in a family line of famous cartographers could see the need to provide such people with a handy pocket atlas for their use when navigating the expanding city roads and locating the many businesses and attractions.

Other books in the range so far are the Atlas of Warwickshire and Worcestershire 1830 – 1840, Atlas & Guide of Birmingham 1924 and Atlas and Guide of Liverpool 1928.

All the guides are available as print-on-demand from the Mapseeker website or in a number of Waterstone’s, WH Smiths and National Trust outlets.

Mapseeker Historical Map Books

Historic Street and County Atlases from Mapseeker

Exploring London Tour with Collins Maps and Atlases

Take a quick Collins Maps tour around London with your guides J & J who are on location with details of the new editions of our popular London maps and atlases.

See the new video on CollinsMapsTv YouTube channel.

"Much better than a smartphone"

See also The Times Atlas of London

Collins Geo Maps & Atlases Catalogue 2011-2012

Discover the World Through Maps

The new Collins Geo Maps & Atlases catalogue 2011-2012 is now available to download.



Collins Geo 2011-2012 Maps & Atlases catalogue



See our current and forthcoming range of maps, atlases, books, eBooks, resource packs and iApps.

The Times Atlases | The Times Atlas of London | The Times Extreme Survivors | Collins World Atlases | The World’s Heritage | Species on the Edge of Survival | International Maps and Country eBooks | New Collins reference titles for all the family | Student and School Atlases | British & European Maps & Atlases | Postcode Atlas of Britain and Northern Ireland | London Maps & Atlases | Scottish Maps & Atlases | Irish Maps & Atlases | World’s Ultimate Running Races | Rambler’s Guides | Times Mapping the Railways | Collins and Nicholson Waterways Mapping

Click here to download Maps & Atlases 2011-2012 (PDF)

Bespoke Collins Bartholomew Maps at Surface View

Teaming up with Surface View, Collins Bartholomew has provided the design company with an array of beautiful British and European vintage maps, which can be customised into stunning bespoke interior prints.

See for yourself!  Go to Surface View's rather wonderful website.  Click on 'Image Collections', then on 'Vintage Maps', select a map and turn it into a mural, blinds or print, then select from a variety of interior settings.  Rather snazzy, we think.

The maps selected for Surface View 'capture a balance of scientific fervour and crafted beauty'.  They come from the Bartholomew Physical Atlas, Vol. III, Meteorology (1899) and The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition (1957).  We hope to make more maps from our Historic Map Archive available soon – any suggestions?

See previous 16 Sep 2010 post: Inspiration to Installation: Vintage Maps from Surface View

The Times Atlas of London

The story of a great city through maps, history and culture

The Times Atlas of London, published by Times Books, maps the story of the capital from its humble beginnings to the megacity it is today.

It charts London’s highs and lows through maps, rarely seen photographs and texts, as well as statistics, archive images, and historical accounts. For local Londoners, tourists, and general readers wanting to find out what lies above and beneath the surface of this great city, The Times Atlas of London is the perfect place to start.

This is the definitive London guide and an indispensible compendium for anyone looking to visit the capital for the 2012 Olympics.

The book includes information on the make-up of London’s diverse population, a comprehensive borough-by-borough guide showing how each district has developed over the years, an illustrated chronology of London charting its remarkable history (including articles on famous Londoners, royal London, and sport in the capital), and extensive information on its parks, rivers, climate and geology.

The Atlas of London allows readers to immerse themselves in the rich history of the city, as well as navigate the streets in the present day.

Shown in the context of the rest of Britain, and in comparison to other world cities, this book conveys how London is truly distinct.

“By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.” (Samuel Johnson, 1773)

The Atlas at a glance:

· A journey through the past and present streets of London

· Stunning images of the capital

· Historical maps and descriptions

· Detailed information about each borough, throughout history

· Before and after aerial photography and mapping

·  Discussions of important London themes, from literary London, to the meaning of London street names; from the capital’s theatre, to the famous Thames

The Times Atlas of London ¦ Published Thursday 13^th October 2011

Hardback ¦ ISBN: 978-0-00-743422-0 ¦ RRP £50

Buy from Amazon

The Times Mapping The Railways

The Times Mapping the Railways, published by Times Books in October 2011, is the most comprehensive collection of British railway maps to date. Charting the rich history of Britain’s railways from 1819 to the present day, this fascinating compendium shows how trains have played an essential part in British life for nearly 200 years. 

Mapping The Railways

 This beautiful book follows the development, decline, and revival of Britain's railways through a unique collection of over a hundred old and new maps, commentaries and photographs.  The story is traced from early 'waggonways', through the steam era to today's diesel and electric railways.

Throughout this engaging book is a series of 'milepost' features on key events, eras and personalities in the history of Britain’s railways. From the enormous role the railways played in the World Wars to modern events, like the opening of the Channel Tunnel, this extensive book shows you how British history is firmly tied to the railways.

The Times Mapping the Railways will appeal to railway enthusiasts, historians and general interest readers alike.

Over a hundred railway maps:

· Historical and modern rail network maps

· Extracts from Ordnance Survey sheets

· Plans for proposed railway schemes

· Track diagrams and official reports

· Pictorial maps, posters and ephemera

· Cartography by Bartholomew, Airey, Bradshaw and many others

Pivotal events in railway history:

· The nineteenth century saw the foundations laid for our modern railway network, with huge building projects constructing thousands of miles of track, bridges and tunnels

· Expansion slowed in the early twentieth century as competition from the car and the lorry began to bite

· Railways made an enormous contribution to the World Wars, then underwent massive re-equipment after nationalization

· Drastic change followed the 'Beeching Report' of 1963, which advocated closure of underused rail lines

· The modern era has seen an expansion of the network again, with the building of the Channel Tunnel and the re-opening of a significant number of lines closed under the 'Beeching axe', many as heritage railways.

About the Authors:

Julian Holland

Specialist railway author, photographer and enthusiast, whose recent titles include The Lost Joy of Railways, The Lost Lines of Britain, Steaming Across Britain and three volumes of Amazing & Extraordinary Railway Facts.

David Spaven

Rail consultant by profession, a geographer by background, and a railway enthusiast since childhood. Currently writing Waverley Route: The Life, Death & Re-Birth of the Borders Railway.

The Times Mapping the Railways

Published Thursday 29^th September 2011

Hardback ¦ ISBN: 978-0-00-743599-9¦ RRP £30

Buy from Amazon

BBC Scotland News: Scotland-Ireland undersea rail link plan 'a surprise'