Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request info on Cassini Past & Present Map

has anyone bought this and what's it like
has it got street names on
Its 1000mm x 890mm [40inches x 3inches ?]

click me


NEW 4 maps in 1: WALLASEY BIRKENHEAD 1840,1902/23,2007

YOU ARE LOOKING AT AN EXCITING NEW CONCEPT IN MAPS: 4 maps from 4 periods on one sheet, the 3 historical Ordnance Survey maps are enlarged from their original 1 inch to a mile scale to match the 4th current OS map so ALL are at the same modern scale of 1:50,000 for easy comparison - see the scans below. This is a unique way to discover the landscapes of the past, to view your area over the last two hundred years - it has never been easier to compare the past with today. Many more enlarged historical OS maps are available in my Ebay shop - come in and have a look around!

This item is the brand new Cassini Past & Present Map (4 maps from 4 periods on 1 sheet):


Map Title: - THE WIRRAL

The four maps on this sheet are dated: 1840, 1902, 1923/24 & the present day.

The area includes Barnston, Bebington, Bidston, Birkenhead, Brimstage, Bromborough, Caldy, Carr Houses, Clatterbridge workhouse (later hospital), Claughton, Dingle, Eastham, Egremont, Everton, Frankby, Greasby, Heswall, Hoylake, Irby & Irby Hill, Leasowe, Liscard, Liverpool (Central), Meols, Moreton, New Brighton, Noctorum, Oxton, Pensby, Port Sunlight, Poulton, Primrosehill, Raby, Red Noses, rock Ferry, Sandhills, Saughall Massie, Seacombe, Storeton, Thornton Hough, Thurstaston, Tranmere, Upton, Wallasey, West Kirby, Woodchurch, Woodhey ALSO the Wirral Railway, the Wrexham Mold & Connah's Quay Railway and the Birkenhead Railway. The 1840 map shows individual names for most of the Liverpool Docks. To help you search we have included some modern names of places which might not have existed in the earliest map - this is an amazing opportunity to see so many changes - farms and countryside swallowed up under railways, roads, houses - an illuminating window on how our surroundings have changed

Hi Derek, a mate had one of these last week. It's good. The national grid is shown on all of the maps so accurate location for comparison is easy.
You have shown the dimensions in metric and inches - be assured that it's not 3 inches as shown; 890 mm is about 35 inches.

my mistake on conversion
slow pc seems to omit or put letters in different places
[can't blame my typing can I}

Did you get a look at his map
Does it have roads and street names on it etc

It seems small to hold 3 maps with good details on

Can't comment about the roads and streets - I didn't see it for long enough - and the area I was interested in was marshland and still has no roads.

I have one of the Cassini maps at 1:50,000 scale (originally 1:63,360 or 1" to 1 mile), a section attached. This scale doesn't show street names, although a few connecting roads between villages are named. Also attached is an extract from the O.S.Explorer map at a scale of 1:25,000. This doesn't show street names either.
Although this part of my Cassini map is dated 7th. November 1840, I have to doubt the accuracy of this date. The map shows Birkenhead Park, laid out pretty much as it is today. The problem is that Joseph Paxton didn't produce the drawings until 1843! Interestingly, it also shows the Chester & Birkenhead Railway, opened in 1840. There's no station at Rock Ferry, but the short-lived station at St.Paul's Rd. is shown.
Another thing which makes me doubt the date of this map is that the Albert Dock is shown, although that didn't open till 1846. I think I'll have to contact the publisher.

thanks Chriskay for showing the type of maps they are
I don't think I'll get them
Am more interested in the local maps Birkenhead showing streets and some house numbers that could match up to street directories 1916, 1960s present etc

I now have the Cassini "Past & Present Map - 4 maps from 4 periods". All maps have been re-scaled to 1:50,000. The National Grid has been added to all four maps so comparison is simplified; particularly useful when seeking a point which was in a field in 1840 but is now in the middle of a housing estate.
Lots of plus points, only one annoying thing - the map is called "The Wirral" which is a misnomer. The area covered is not the 100 square miles of the Wirral peninsula - it is the 60 square miles of the Wirral Council area.
Dates of the maps are stated to be 1840, 1902, 1923-24, present day (c2006)- but see chriskay's earlier comments about the 1840 date.