Quick find:
1. Early maps
2. Ordnance Survey
--- Large scale plans
3. Town plans
4. Thematic maps

1. Early maps

The standard sources for Devon's county maps is: The printed maps of Devon: county maps 1575-1837 by Kit Batten and Francis Bennett (Devon Books, 1996). Apart from the Ordnance Survey, two cartographers have produced one inch to the mile maps of Devon: Benjamin Donn whose Map of the county of Devon was published in 1765 (reprinted by the Devon and Cornwall Record Society in 1965) and C. and J.Greenwood's Map of the county of Devon from an actual survey made in the years 1825 & 1826 (1827). Both are widely available in the major local studies collections and the Greenwood survey is available on the web with selective links to Donn's survey for some areas. The image below is of Pieter van den Keere's map of Devon which first appeared in 1605 (Batten & Bennet 4, Chubb 9, Skelton 4. Westcountry Studies Library location SM DEV/1605/KEE)

2. Ordnance Survey

The first edition (Old Series) of the one inch to a mile map covering Devon was published in 1809. The same plates were used until the 1880s with selective alteration for railways, new roads and other major changes. The facsimile published by Harry Margary in book form uses the earliest version of the plates while the sheets published by David and Charles are taken from late electrotype plates, usually of the 1870s and 1880s and show railways. Both have extensive documentation by J.B.Harley. The second edition (New Series) was current in Devon from about 1886 to 1910, the third edition from about 1910 to 1918 the fourth edition (Popular Edition) from about 1918 to 1933, the fifth edition from about 1933 to 1939, the sixth edition (New Popular) from about 1946 to 1957 and the seventh series from about 1953 to 1972), at which date they were replaced by the 1:50,000 first series (1974-). The second (Landranger) series was introduced in Devon in c1985. While too small for detailed local history research these small scales were revised more frequently than the larger scales and can record major changes. Useful guides by R.Oliver are his Guide to Ordnance Survey one inch seventh series (3rd ed, 1990), his Guide to the Ordnance Survey one inch new popular edition (2nd ed, 1989) and his Ordnance Survey maps: a concise guide for historians (1993). The large-scale survey of the British Isles was delayed by a dispute over the scale at which it was to be published and it did not commence publication in Devon until 1864. From this period the first edition of the six inch to a mile (1:10,560) and 1:2,500 plans of the Plymouth and Torbay area were published concurrently. Coverage of the remainder of the county had to wait until 1885-90. A second edition was published for most of the county in 1905-6 and revisions for the built-up areas also appeared, mostly in the 1930s. The central areas of Dartmoor and Exmoor were not covered at a scale of 1:2,500. Devon was covered by 139 sheets, numbered in strips four miles wide running across the county from west to east and north to south. The 1:10,560 maps appeared in four sub-sheets (NW NE SW and SE), the 1:2,500 in 16 subsheets, numbered from 1 to 16. The Ordnance Survey's key sheets have recently been reprinted: Indexes to the 1:2500 and six inch scale maps : England and Wales. The major local studies collections have the first and second edition 1:2500 and 1:10,560 sheets for their own area in aperture card or microfiche. Revised editions must be consulted in hard copy. Between 1855 and 1892 the Ordnance Survey published even larger scale town plans (typically 1:500) of the following towns in Devon: Barnstaple, Bideford, Brixham, Crediton, Dartmouth, Dawlish, Exeter, Exmouth, Ilfracombe, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Tavistock, Teignmouth, Tiverton, Torquay and Totnes. Microfiches of these extremely detailed plans are available in the appropriate area local studies collections with a full set for the county in the Westcountry Studies Library. Access is through a combination of listings and key sheets. Parish packs in branch libraries and schools outside the three main urban areas should contain copies of the second edition Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 local sheet. The county series plans have been digitised on a national grid base by Landmark, an Exeter company. Negotiations are in hand to acquire a set of the data for local studies collections in Devon. The image below shows part of the centre of Exeter at a scale of six inches to the mile (Ordnance Survey sheet 80NE).

From 1945 large-scale Ordnance Survey plans were based on a metric national grid. The 100 Km squares which cover Devon are SS, ST SX and SY. Within these main squares references are given by counting first the eastings and then the northings. Thus a two figure reference (e.g. ST12 is accurate to within ten kilometers, a four figure reference (e.g. ST1234) to within one kilometer and a six-figure reference (e.g. ST123456) to within one hundred meters. The national grid maps have been published at the following scales since 1945:

1:25,000: sheets formerly covered one 10 Km square (e.g. ST10) or two adjacent 10 Km squares (e.g. ST10/20) from their introduction in about 1945. The series is currently published in two sequentially numbered series, Outdoor Leisure maps for the main tourist areas (Dartmoor and South Hams within Devon) and Explorer maps for the rest of the county. These replace the Pathfinder series (c1985-1996), whose sheets also received sequential numbering covering the whole country. Public libraries in Devon hold the following areas:

• Westcountry Studies: Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset
• Barnstaple: Devon, North Cornwall, West Somerset.
• Plymouth: Devon, Cornwall
• Torquay: Devon, Cornwal

• Westcountry Studies: Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset
• Barnstaple: North Devon
• Plymouth: Devon, Cornwall
• Torquay: South Devon

• Westcountry Studies: East Devon area and 15Km radius of Exeter
• Barnstaple: North Devon area
• Exmouth: Exmouth area only
• Plymouth: West Devon area
• Torquay: South Devon area

1:1250. Sheets cover an area 500 meters square (e.g. SX9292NW, SX9292NE, SX9292SW, SX9292SE. Only the major towns are covered. Public library holdings: as for 1:2,500 sheets.

3. TOWN PLANS

4. THEMATIC MAPS

Geological Survey
Sheet numbering is based on the 2nd series 1:63,360 of the Ordnance Survey but sheets are now being reissued on the scale of 1:50,000. For many sheets there is a geological memoir which includes sections on economic geology. Area collections hold local sheets with regional coverage in Westcountry Studies.

Land utilisation survey
Produced at a scale of 1:63,360, mainly in the 1940s and not updated. Revised sheets are kept at Bedford College in the University of London. Westcountry Studies holds sheets for Devon.

Land use maps
Only a very few sheets have been issued at a scale of 1:25,000. These are held in Westcountry Studies.

Agricultural land classification
Published in the 1970s on the sheet lines of the 7th edition of the 1:63,360. For some sheets there is a brief accompanying memoir. There is also a 1:250,000 sheet for the whole region. Sets for Devon are held in the larger local studies collections.

Soil survey
Not all of the county has been covered at a large scale. For large-scale sheets that have been issued (some at 1:25,000, some at 1:63,360) there is normally a memoir. Sheets are held in the larger local studies collections.

Goad plans The shopping centre surveys are compiled for the larger towns and are updated annually or every two years. They succeeded in the 1970s the Goad insurance plans which had been published for Exeter and Plymouth only in Devon between 1888 and 1962 at a scale of 1 inch to 40 feet. These were updated by means of paste-on slips and are extremely detailed. They are available in Westcountry Studies and Plymouth Local Studies Library on aperture cards.

Navigation charts
Besides those published by the Admiralty Hydrographic Department, the firm of Imray have published charts for yachtsmen. Sheets for local waters are held in local studies collections. It should be noted that the Admiralty do not allow any copying from charts which are still in copyright.

5. Finding aids

Further reading:
A good guide to maps is provided by B.P.Hindle Maps for local history (Batsford, 1988) or D.Smith Maps and plans for the local historian and collector (1988).