How do I search for a location on the historical map?

Click the magnifying glass icon on the map to open the search bar. Type a street name, place, or postcode and press Enter. On mobile, tap the Return key on your on-screen keyboard.

What historical maps are available?

Two layers are available: the 1900 Ordnance Survey County Series (1:10,560 scale, covering the whole UK) and the 1893–1896 Ordnance Survey Five-foot to the mile map of London (1:1,056 scale).

How does the side-by-side slider work?

After selecting a historical map layer, a divider appears across the map. Drag it left or right to compare the historical Ordnance Survey map with the modern OpenStreetMap layer.

UK Historical Maps Online — 1900 County Series & Victorian London

Interactive Map Viewer

Choose map layer:

Select a layer above, then drag the slider to compare.

How to use the map

Choose a layer — click 1900 County Series for the whole UK or Victorian London for the highly detailed 1893 capital survey.

Find a place — click the magnifying-glass icon, type a street, town, or postcode, then press Enter (or tap Return on mobile).

Use the slider — drag the vertical divider left or right to compare the historical layer with today's OpenStreetMap.

Discover Your Area's Past and Present

Compare present-day maps with historical Ordnance Survey surveys from across the UK, or zoom into London to see the city as it looked in the Victorian era. Use the side-by-side slider to focus on any region; search by town, street, or postcode to see how your area looked over a century ago. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a genealogist tracing ancestors, or a property owner curious about your land's past, these maps are an endlessly fascinating window into Britain's built environment.

Why Historical Maps Matter

Historical maps are invaluable to researchers, historians, urban planners, archaeologists, and homeowners alike. By comparing surveys across time you can trace how streets, fields, and buildings have changed — identifying lost landmarks, understanding industrial heritage, or simply satisfying curiosity about what occupied your garden before the house was built. They are also vital tools for preserving cultural heritage, revealing former land use, property boundaries, and the evolution of transport networks.

1893–1896 London Five-Foot Map

The Ordnance Survey five-foot to the mile (1:1,056) map of London was produced between 1893 and 1896 — one of the most detailed surveys ever made of the capital. Every street, building, and individual tree was recorded to help people navigate a rapidly expanding Victorian city. It remains a captivating historical artefact and a testament to the skill of its creators.

1900 County Series (1:10,560)

The Ordnance Survey six-inch to the mile County Series, produced around 1900, was a landmark in UK map-making. Covering the entire country, these sheets provided precise topographical data — contours, roads, buildings, and boundaries. They became indispensable for land management, urban planning, military strategy, and geological surveying, and remain an important historical record of Britain's landscape.