Victorian geological survey maps of Britain and Ireland

Abstract

In a farsighted development, the British Geological Survey has brought a new lease of life to its historic material by putting its water-coloured map sheets online. This new digital archive (http://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/maps/home.html), with introductory notes and downloads, features mainly one inch to the mile 1 : 63 360 geological maps and their related cross-sections drawn up along the lines that were neatly etched across the sheets, which became increasingly detailed over the decades. Once a map sheet or section is selected online it could not be easier to enlarge it and swiftly pan around, looking at the meticulously engraved topographic base map and the often brightly coloured overlying geology, occasionally annotated, including coastal sheets with descriptive notes. Furthermore, it is then possible to order very high quality reprints to study an area in even more detail or simply put one of the more attractive sheets on the wall, as there are some real gems to choose from. This feature provides a guide to some of its more important maps.