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National Library of Scotland maps

dwilly

dwilly

master brummie
https://maps.nls.uk/

Someone showed me this site the other day, allows overlay of os maps old and new and also comparison side by side, allows you to alter the intensity of the over lay so new map or old map is more prominent, looks like you could have hours of fun with it, although it the Library of Scotland it also cover England and of course Birmingham
 
Also here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=45974&p=561735#post561735
I had fun with it ...
friendly_wink.png
 
brummy-lad said:
Looks like the NLS is moving quite quickly (in view of the amount of data) with their scanning of 1950s maps with house numbers. Naturally they started in Scotland and have now reached Dumfries. It will be great when we once again have this valuable facility at our fingertips. Example link below

Click to expand...
wow thanks john...i cant wait for it to reach birmingham ive always thought it brilliant anyway but having numbering on the maps will be a massive bonus to us..i will never get any shopping..housework or cooking done not to mention baby sitting :D :D

lyn
 
By chance I just came across this on the NLS website. I have previously been told, and passed on , the message that the library were palnning to make their post war large scale maps maps available on the site but had not seen it in print from them directly before. Both the 1: 1250 and 1:2500 maps referred to show numbering. I hope they acheive their target of the end of 2024

ScreenHunter 53.jpg
 
It would be great when these maps with house numbers are available for the other cities. I've been using them in London and they're so useful for locating addresses better. (I just wish you could fade between two old maps not just modern+old) e.g. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18.1&lat=51.47538&lon=-0.24091&layers=173&b=1

I have a tip which might help people using the Birmingham map Towns 1:500 1840s-1890s, which seems to have some missing tiles in the zoomable map. I was frustrated by this, but eventually found that these tiles are present in the underlying maps which have been stiched together to make the full city. So you can click the small link to the bottom right, to show the individual map for the area like X1V.1.17 and these seems to be complete. I've ordered a few of these maps as prints and they are wonderful.

Here's what I mean: this has some missing sections near Dartmouth Circus
NLS Missing tiles 1.png

So look for this link bottom right:
NLS Missing tiles 2.png

Once you click it, it turns into a sentance which is "waiting" for you to roll over the right area, and then it shows you th ename of the underlying map (XIV.17 etc). The trick is to be able to move your mouse back to the link to click it - which is impossible because you roll over another area on the way and it changes! So you have to pan the map across until the area you want is right next to the original link. (It's weird that they didn't do this another way...). So then you mouse over the link and double-check it's still the right map section number and click "view or order this map".
NLS Missing tiles 3.png

This takes you to the single-map view, where you will see the missing tiles.
NLS Missing tiles 4.png

Vivienne (if you see this), I figured this out while looking for St. George St, Court 7, House 6 where Edward & Sarah lived - which was frustratingly right under one of these missing sections.

St Georges St Birmingham 1880s map sm.png

This is at XIV.1.16 - https://maps.nls.uk/view/228801896

If you have trouble clicking the hover link, you can choose from the maps: https://maps.nls.uk/os/townplans-england/birmingham.html
There's always another way!
 
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Great News. the NLS has just released many 1:1250 maps from the 1940s to 1970s. these contain house numbering , which we have been awaiting since the demise of the old maps site. This applies to many towns in the country, but Birmingham and much of the black country is available at https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=12.0&lat=52.49427&lon=-1.91278&layers=61&b=1&z=0&point=0,0. A view Lyn would like of part of villa st is below to show you the sort of thing that is available. It can magnify more than on this sample. It is also available as a continuous overlay to satellite imagery at https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.0&lat=52.48214&lon=-1.89035&layers=173&b=1&o=100

Part of villa st 1954.jpg
 
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mikejee said:
Great News. the NLS has just released many 1:1250 maps from the 1940s to 1970s. these contain house numbering , which we have been awaiting since the demise of the old maps site. This applies to many towns in the country, but Birmingham and much of the black country is available at https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=12.0&lat=52.49427&lon=-1.91278&layers=61&b=1&z=0&point=0,0. A view Lyn would like of part of villa st is below to show you the sort of thing that is available. It can magnify more than on this sample. It is also available as a continuous overlay to satellite imagery at https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.0&lat=52.48214&lon=-1.89035&layers=173&b=1&o=100

View attachment 192603
Click to expand...


wow that is brilliant mike....just been on it find my part of villa street

lyn
 
Just an observation but on the Georeferenced maps there are certain areas not displaying house numbers e.g. Rocky Lane, Holland Road, Cromwell Street Scholefield Street. Luckily, on the Map Finder option the house numbers are displayed.

I came across this because I am planning to do an update to the www.leroux.co.uk/aston website using the 1950s maps and covering a wider area than was previously possible.
 
John
I suspect thast the ones without numbers are the 1/2500 scale and the ones with numbers are the 1/1250 scale. That is certainly true if you look at the individual maps. Not sure why the georeferenced ones used should vary.
 
The NLS Maps site contains this interesting - and alarming - map of Birmingham showing the locations of "fatal street accidents due to vehicular traffic for the year ended 31st December 1935. Total 148". The highlighted area of South Birmingham emphasises the density of fatalities. My grandmother died after being hit by a van whilst shopping on the Stratford Road in Sparkhill in 1934.

1936 Birmingham Road Accident Fatalities (148 for 12 months to 31 December 1935).png

1936 Birmingham Road Accident Fatalities (148 for 12 months to 31 December 1935) South Birming...png
 
It’s quite an interesting statistic, all those motor traffic related deaths. I too lost a great-grandfather who was hit by a bus on Washwood Heath Road. Strangely I was also aware of this number and how it compares today, less than 10 fatality’s a year. Improvements in car braking system, better car design, road layouts and traffic awareness in schools has most certainly helped.
 
Morturn said:
It’s quite an interesting statistic, all those motor traffic related deaths. I too lost a great-grandfather who was hit by a bus on Washwood Heath Road. Strangely I was also aware of this number and how it compares today, less than 10 fatality’s a year. Improvements in car braking system, better car design, road layouts and traffic awareness in schools has most certainly helped.
Click to expand...
Maybe also the driving test introduced in 1935.
 
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