Question 1

How do you choose which towns or cities to map?

Accepted Answer

We are both proactive and responsive when it comes to deciding which towns and cities to map. We aim for nationwide coverage, and would like to include a wide range of urban types - from smaller towns to regional metropolises, from cathedral cities to industrial conurbations. We have a number of towns, cities or regions in our sights, but we also welcome approaches from local groups who would like to produce a map of their own town. In either case, a key criterion is the existence of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable local group who will drive the project forward.

Question 2

Would my town / city be suitable for a historic map?

Accepted Answer

Almost any British town or city where a map can bring out the influence of the past on the present, and sum up changes over time, would be a suitable candidate. Small towns may be best treated as part of a nearby pair or functional group – as for example Alnwick and Alnmouth. In most cases we recommend starting with a map project, and then deciding on the basis of the knowledge gained from that whether to proceed to the more substantial project of a bound atlas volume.

Question 3

Why hasn’t the Historic Towns Trust made a map of my town or city?

Accepted Answer

We are often asked why we have not produced a map of a particular town or city. We are keen to map towns and cities across the UK, and normally have several map projects under way at any time. Each project depends on local initiative and strong local involvement. Creating a map and its accompanying gazetteer requires local historians, archaeologists, societies and other experts to research, collate and check detailed information about the place, all giving their time and expertise for free. It also needs people and organisations willing to coordinate locally, raise funds and secure sponsorship towards production costs. The Trust provides specialist coordination and cartographic expertise, but without an active local partnership a project cannot move forward. In many cases, no individual or group from the town concerned has yet approached the Trust to propose, champion and fund a map.

Question 4

How much does it cost to produce a map and who pays for it?

Accepted Answer

Currently, we budget between £20,000 and £25,000 to produce and launch a map. Most of these costs are for the expert cartography the Trust will provide and the digitisation of the base map, plus the printing, publication and distribution of the finished map. This total also includes some administrative costs. The Trust may in some circumstances be able to contribute funds from grants it has obtained. The majority of the funds will be raised by the local group who are best placed to foster enthusiasm and tap local sources.

Question 5

How long will it take?

Accepted Answer

About 18 months to two years is the norm, following discussions and the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement. The better organised the local group, the more efficient the process!

Question 6

How much local input do you need?

Accepted Answer

A good deal – both fundraising and the contribution of knowledge and information in an organised way. But local groups are best placed for advertising the map to the local people and groups who will be interested in it and for drumming up support.

Question 7

What sort of local input do you need?

Accepted Answer

We need local expertise -  historians, archaeologists, geographers – to agree what should be shown on the map, and to research individual buildings or features, place-names, and activities. Someone will need to step up as local lead, to channel this information to the cartographer who will incorporate it in the map. Drafts will be discussed and corrected before the map is finalised. The local group will also need to gather information to create the gazetteer or street directory on the reverse of the map, write explanatory text, and source illustrations.

Question 8

What period should the map cover?

Accepted Answer

Mostly, our maps are multi-period – that is, they show past, present, and lost features from different periods. We use a 19th/early 20th-century Ordnance Survey map as the base, superimposing colours and symbols to identify dates or types of building and land-use, and to make it clear whether the information is vague or precise.

Question 9

Who owns copyright of the map?

Accepted Answer

The copyright remains with the Historic Towns Trust, unless agreed otherwise, but we will share map and other data widely – for example, with local school projects - to ensure the maximum impact.

Question 10

Who should I contact about creating a map?

Accepted Answer

Email the Chair of the Trust, chair@ historictownstrust.uk, who will forward your enquiry to the Trustee with responsibility for your geographical region and to the Trustee who chairs the Projects and Programmes Sub-committee. Together they will take your enquiry forward.

Question 11

Full information on how our maps and atlases are produced

Accepted Answer

Producing a map or atlas in the Historic Towns Trust series is always a collaboration, with practical, technical, and financial issues to be considered. Normally a map comes first, and not every project proceeds to an atlas. These two pdfs, created by Cartographic Editor Giles Darkes, outline the major stages and considerations in each case.

In addition, the presentation by Theresa Hughes, who co-ordinated the team working on the Perth map, published in 2024, gives some insights into the process from the other side of the collaboration.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about producing historical maps & atlases with the Trust