5 ms·

Victorian London in detail with OpenLayers

89 points by msmithstubbs 11y ago

stevep98 11y ago
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=21&lat=51.5343&lon=-0.0487&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=21&lat=51.5343&lon=-0.0...
- easytiger 11y ago
  Not any more, apparently society doesn't need to pee
  - Symbiote 11y ago
    The other urinal, at the park gate to the east, is now marked as a toilet on OpenStreetMap.
  - theoh 11y ago
    It does, but then society doesn't exist, according to Margaret Thatcher.
th0ma5 11y ago
This looks a lot like the maps that came with the old Sherlock Holmes Infocom game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock:_The_Riddle_of_the_Crown_Jewels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock:_The_Riddle_of_the_Cr... ... which makes sense I guess.
easytiger 11y ago
It even shows Horse Troughs, which are still there http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=51.5230&lon=-0.1060&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=51.5230&lon=-0.1...
andyjohnson0 11y ago
Some building seem to have their internal walls mapped. For example: http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=20&lat=51.5226&lon=-0.1061&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=20&lat=51.5226&lon=-0.1... Or am I reading this wrongly?
- etrevino 11y ago
  No, you're right. If they're a public space they're likely to be mapped.
  - andyjohnson0 11y ago
    Google Maps Inside back in 1895! It looks like the building I noticed was a courthouse from 1780 to 1931 [1], so yes a public space. Its now a private members club targeting tech workers [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesex_Sessions_House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesex_Sessions_House [2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/home-house-to-woo-londons-tech-staff-with-clerkenwell-club-8844553.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/home-house-t...
stereo 11y ago
Is there a page that explains all these abbreviations and symbols? P.H.? H? F.P.? That little arrow against the walls? http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/symbols.html http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/symbols.html only has a couple.
- pisco_sour 11y ago
  They are likely the same as used in modern OS maps - https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/resources/maps-and-geographic-resources/map-abbreviations.html https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/resources/maps-and-geograph...
- draaglom 11y ago
  I know "P.H." is "Public House". Not sure about the others.
- mastax 11y ago
  I found this page: http://maps.nls.uk/os/abbrev/index.html http://maps.nls.uk/os/abbrev/index.html
darkr 11y ago
I thought my house was built some time between 1890 and 1900, but as I can see it on this map, I guess that puts it nearer to 1890. I'd like to think of some Victorian gentleman sitting in this very same room, smoking a pipe, reading in the paper by gaslight about the newly built power station at Deptford, and about Idaho becoming the 43rd American state.
- JetSetWilly 11y ago
  You can look at census information if you are curious. I was curious about my victorian house. These days it is a typical 3 bedroom detached semi, constructed circa 1890. A check of the census revealed that back in 1901, there was a married couple, the husband working for the Pearl Insurance company, 8 children and a grandmother living in it. The toilet was outside (but at least they had their own!) and there was only one dedicated bedroom as upstairs had not been converted. So your idea of a "victorian gentlement" sitting alone in the room is probably wrong. Likely the house would have been teeming with children, who would be employed after the age of 12 or so. Multiple people would sleep in each room. The kitchen would have a bed recess. Constant work would be done all day every day for everyday tasks now like keeping dishes clean, heating water, cooking etc. The husband probably spends his occasional free time at the pub to avoid the endless activity of home. It is surprising how much more poverty-stricken and arduous even middle class life was then, compared to now.
  - robin_reala 11y ago
    Do you have a link to where you can search census data by address? Most of the standard sites let you search by name.
    - 4ndr3vv 11y ago
      http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1901-england-wales-and-scotland-census http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1901-eng... hit the address tab on the top of the search page
aardvark179 11y ago
Forget London, try browsing round other areas of the UK and looking at some of the historic OS 25 inch maps.

89 points by msmithstubbs 11y ago

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=21&lat=51.5343&lon=-0.0487&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=21&lat=51.5343&lon=-0.0...

easytiger 11y ago
Not any more, apparently society doesn't need to pee
- Symbiote 11y ago
  The other urinal, at the park gate to the east, is now marked as a toilet on OpenStreetMap.
- theoh 11y ago
  It does, but then society doesn't exist, according to Margaret Thatcher.

th0ma5 11y ago

This looks a lot like the maps that came with the old Sherlock Holmes Infocom game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock:_The_Riddle_of_the_Crown_Jewels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock:_The_Riddle_of_the_Cr... ... which makes sense I guess.

easytiger 11y ago

It even shows Horse Troughs, which are still there http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=51.5230&lon=-0.1060&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=51.5230&lon=-0.1...

andyjohnson0 11y ago

Some building seem to have their internal walls mapped. For example: http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=20&lat=51.5226&lon=-0.1061&layers=163 http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=20&lat=51.5226&lon=-0.1... Or am I reading this wrongly?

etrevino 11y ago
No, you're right. If they're a public space they're likely to be mapped.
- andyjohnson0 11y ago
  Google Maps Inside back in 1895! It looks like the building I noticed was a courthouse from 1780 to 1931 [1], so yes a public space. Its now a private members club targeting tech workers [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesex_Sessions_House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesex_Sessions_House [2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/home-house-to-woo-londons-tech-staff-with-clerkenwell-club-8844553.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/home-house-t...

stereo 11y ago

Is there a page that explains all these abbreviations and symbols? P.H.? H? F.P.? That little arrow against the walls? http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/symbols.html http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/symbols.html only has a couple.

pisco_sour 11y ago
They are likely the same as used in modern OS maps - https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/resources/maps-and-geographic-resources/map-abbreviations.html https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/resources/maps-and-geograph...
draaglom 11y ago
I know "P.H." is "Public House". Not sure about the others.
mastax 11y ago
I found this page: http://maps.nls.uk/os/abbrev/index.html http://maps.nls.uk/os/abbrev/index.html

darkr 11y ago

I thought my house was built some time between 1890 and 1900, but as I can see it on this map, I guess that puts it nearer to 1890. I'd like to think of some Victorian gentleman sitting in this very same room, smoking a pipe, reading in the paper by gaslight about the newly built power station at Deptford, and about Idaho becoming the 43rd American state.

JetSetWilly 11y ago
You can look at census information if you are curious. I was curious about my victorian house. These days it is a typical 3 bedroom detached semi, constructed circa 1890. A check of the census revealed that back in 1901, there was a married couple, the husband working for the Pearl Insurance company, 8 children and a grandmother living in it. The toilet was outside (but at least they had their own!) and there was only one dedicated bedroom as upstairs had not been converted. So your idea of a "victorian gentlement" sitting alone in the room is probably wrong. Likely the house would have been teeming with children, who would be employed after the age of 12 or so. Multiple people would sleep in each room. The kitchen would have a bed recess. Constant work would be done all day every day for everyday tasks now like keeping dishes clean, heating water, cooking etc. The husband probably spends his occasional free time at the pub to avoid the endless activity of home. It is surprising how much more poverty-stricken and arduous even middle class life was then, compared to now.
- robin_reala 11y ago
  Do you have a link to where you can search census data by address? Most of the standard sites let you search by name.
  - 4ndr3vv 11y ago
    http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1901-england-wales-and-scotland-census http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1901-eng... hit the address tab on the top of the search page

aardvark179 11y ago

Forget London, try browsing round other areas of the UK and looking at some of the historic OS 25 inch maps.