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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 24/08/2026

This #MapMonday, let's take another look at part of SABRE Maps. Today is one of our favourites - Map Fader. Pick a layer that you want to look at, click the "Map Fader" button, and pick a second layer, and compare the two! It works with any #map layers we have, so you can easily see any changes!

SABRE Maps screenshot showing the Map Fader functionality in the area of Toddington, with the 1932 OS London Passenger Transport Map and the 1974 Ordnance Survey Landranger being compared at 50% each.

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Old UK Print Ads 70s/80s/90s @oldukprintads7890s.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Aug 1979: 1:50 000 Maps ad from Ordnance Survey «Is there life beyond the motorways?»

This is an advertisement for Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 maps. It suggests that using motorways to travel may cause you to miss a lot of the country. The maps cover the whole of Britain and feature information on roads, bridlepaths, footpaths, churches, greenhouses, pubs, Youth Hostels, telephone boxes, picnic areas, and campsites.

Is there life beyond the motorways?

Thanks to the motorways, you can drive from one end of the country to the other in less than a day.
But whilst it may be worth giving up a few of the more leisurely pleasures of motoring to cut a few hours off the journey, there's no need to miss anything when you arrive.
The Ordnance Survey's 1:50 000 maps cover the whole of Britain. (To the uninitiated 1:50 000 is just over one inch to the mile.)
At that sort of scale there's plenty of room for detail.
For a start, every right of way is marked-from Motorways through A and B roads, right down to the smallest bridlepath and footpath.
But far from just helping you get around, they'll give you a pretty good idea of what to expect when you arrive.
There are over two hundred symbols representing everything from churches to greenhouses.
You'll find pubs, Youth Hostels, telephone boxes, and even public conveniences marked.
With a little bit of practice at reading the contours it's possible to get a picture of the kind of terrain you'll find.
And on most of the maps you'll even find a number of tourist features like picnic areas and camp sites.
Before you set off on your next trip, get hold of the 1:50 000 map of the area and have a long hard look at it.
When you finally arrive, it'll seem like you've been there a hundred times before.
Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 Series.
Information & Enquiries, Ordnance Survey, Southampton, SO9 4DH.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/08/2026

If you're looking to get rid of them, then DM us first! We can then scan any that we don't have, and when they're out-of-copyright, put them online for everyone to freely enjoy - and of course, preserve them for history.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 18/08/2026

And you can see where the flyover was meant to go on our Ringways map, the most accurate (and indeed only) map of London's unrealised motorway plans of the era. www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/index.p...

sabre-roads.org.uk

Making sure you're not a bot!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 17/08/2026

Another part of SABRE Maps that you might not have used or forgotten about is our Sheetfinder - pick your scale, click on the location and the #maps covering that location at that scale appear in the right hand area. Click on the thumbnail, and it takes you to the map. Easy! buff.ly/f7tZpdc

Screenshot of the SABRE Maps Sheetfinder, with the area to the north of the island of Ireland selected to show all the Ordnance Survey #maps available in that location.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 13/08/2026

It works happily on an OpenStreetMap base map in our Co-ordinate Finder. Just put the mouse cursor where you want. Clicking will bring a little dialog box with the most common modern and archaic systems, including OSGB National Grid. www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/finder/

sabre-roads.org.uk

Making sure you're not a bot!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 13/08/2026

And don't forget about us too! We're the largest free online archive of georeferenced British and Irish mapping at "road map" scales in GB and IRL. www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/sheetfi...

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Making sure you're not a bot!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 13/08/2026

And to which we'll add that our Co-ordinate Finder is free to use, and exposes a huge range of systems, from OSGB National Grid, Irish Grid and WGS84 lat/lon to more archaic ones like the OSGB National Yard Grid. www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/finder/

sabre-roads.org.uk

Making sure you're not a bot!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 10/08/2026

This #MapMonday we'll leave a reminder of one of the other applications in the SABRE Maps family - the Co-ordinate Finder. Mouse over the map of GB or IRL, and get the location of that point in lots of modern and archaic co-ordinate formats. Perfect for map nerds like us! buff.ly/JraIUl8

#Map of Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire showing the location of the town center in a whole range of GB and Ireland co-ordinate systems

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 03/08/2026

It's very rare that such errors creep out into the world, but this is one example of how awful it can look when it does happen!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 03/08/2026

This #MapMonday sees a few more Ordnance Survey Ireland Half Inch #maps from 1971 added to SABRE Maps, with one of my favourite physical sheets. Yes, the physical map really does look like that, with the red printing layer completely misaligned to the rest of the map. buff.ly/Vx7jBc7

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 03/08/2026

We take it you've found our enormous collection of thousands of georeferenced road-scale maps of the UK and Ireland?

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/07/2026

Unfortunately we only specialise in 20th and 21st century mapping, so can't go back far enough! If it helps, I've checked the OS Old Series mapping, and there's nothing there either about a burial mound. Sorry!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/07/2026

It's there before then - it's also on the 1962 OS One Inch map, but not the 1960 one. You can compare the two on our Map Fader. www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/index.p...

sabre-roads.org.uk

Making sure you're not a bot!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/07/2026

We are lucky to have some of the best maps in the world in our opinion in these islands. And if you want to see loads of historic georeferenced OS maps, then we've got thousands for you! www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/index.p...

sabre-roads.org.uk

SABRE - Maps

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 27/07/2026

And then to compliment it, there's also a 1971 OSI #map sheet that mostly covers NI! Would you have spotted the tiny bit of the M12 motorway without up pointing it out?

Ordnance Survey of Ireland map of the area between Lough Neagh and Craigavon, showing a tiny part of the M12 motorway

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 27/07/2026

Another #MapMonday means more #maps on SABRE Maps! This week we bring 8 Half Inch maps from 1970-72. Our favourite in this batch are the western half of the OSNI Half Inch Second Series from 1970, which includes all of County Donegal as well as the western half of NI. buff.ly/0iOZSxr

Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland Half Inch Second Series showing Letterkenny and the surrounding areas in County Donegal

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Mike @mikeyashworth.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I've had reason to open out some of my Ordnance Survey "Old Series" one-inch maps today so here's the first edition 1813 section of Sussex covering Bexhill. @bexhillmuseum.bsky.social

Section of the OS 'old series' first edition one-inch map sheet V published in 1813 showing Bexhill at lower right along the coastal section of the county. The map is heavily hatchured to show topography, along with rivers, roads villages and woodland features.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/07/2026

#MapMonday sees more #maps added to SABRE Maps, with three more Half Inch sheets added to our 1968 layer. A few weeks ago we complained about the 1961 Snowdon sheet not being ready for Number Six, well, he was there in 1968, and so is The Village! #ThePrisoner buff.ly/1rC4ClC

Ordnance Survey OS map extract from the Half Inch sheet of Snowdonia from 1968, showing Portmeirion during the filming of The Prisoner TV series

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 13/07/2026

We rarely ask , but if you enjoy SABRE Maps, then please consider clicking our "Donate to SABRE Maps" button to help us out with the running costs. Every penny (or eurocent) goes towards the server costs, as all team members are volunteers.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 13/07/2026

Another #MapMonday, another set of #maps added to SABRE Maps. This week's additions are 10 Half Inch maps from 1966 and 1967, mostly covering Ireland, but there's one Welsh sheet in the batch as well for you all to enjoy, completely freely. buff.ly/Wl7J8b5

Extract from the Ordnance Survey Ireland Half Inch Map from 1967 showing the area around Derry. Perhaps surprisingly to modern eyes, Derry is labelled Londonderry on this map produced by OSI in Dublin.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 06/07/2026

It's been a really busy week for us this week, so there's just a single layer been added to SABRE Maps this #MapMonday- half a dozen Half Inch #maps from 1965 covering quite a large part of Ireland. We hope you're enjoying them! buff.ly/OHuqI0E

Extract from an Ordnance Survey Ireland Half Inch map of Galway and the surrounding areas.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/06/2026

More OS, OSI and OSNI #maps at the Half Inch scale this week have been added to SABRE Maps, with 15 maps for you to enjoy. Disappointingly, the 1961 map of Snowdonia doesn't appear to consider The Village at Portmerion, soon to welcome Number Six, to be important enough to label. #ThePrisoner

Extract from Ordnance Survey OS map of Snowdonia from 1961, showing the area around Portmadoc and Morfa Harlech on the boundary between Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Wales

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 22/06/2026

#MapMonday rolls around again, and it's going to be a hot one! So, let's give you some more Ordnance Survey Half Inch #maps from 1958-60, with a set containing both GB and IRL sheets. There's two editions of the Birmingham Half Inch sheet, so what differences can you find? buff.ly/70vRsYG

Extract from the Ordnance Survey OS map at the Half Inch scale, showing the Kidderminster area of Worcestershire.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 15/06/2026

In this #MapMonday SABRE Maps update, we're bringing more Ordnance Survey Half Inch #maps to life, with sheets published in 1955, 1956 and 1957 across Ireland, adding yet more editions to our already large collection of mapping across the island. buff.ly/t29jfAo

Ordnance Survey Ireland OSI map from 1956 showing Dublin and the surrounding area.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 15/06/2026

Ahem... Don't forget about us!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 09/06/2026

Ooooo, that's interesting! However, which square do online archives like ours go in?

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 08/06/2026

SABRE Maps has the largest collection anywhere of modern Ordnance Survey GB 1:250k #OpenData #maps, all freely available for people to see. And now on #MapMonday the brand new 2026 edition is here for you to enjoy! Try our Map Fader and see what changes from 2025 you can find buff.ly/KY5kHm6

OS map extract from the newly released 2026 OpenData 1:250k mapping, showing the latest section of the A465 Heads of the Valley Road dualling

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 03/06/2026

If they're of the kinds of scales in your picture, then we have hundreds of different sheets and editions, lots of which that aren't available for free elsewhere online. We will be adding a whole load of 1:25k sheets later in the year.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 03/06/2026

*Waves in huge numbers of old maps*

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Saw this on a map @stuartackland.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

It's World Bicycle Day today, here are two Ordnance Survey map covers from between the wars by OS in-house artist Ellis Martin (more examples of his work below). More free time after WWI led to an increase in walking and cycling maps, often with covers as attractive as these @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 01/06/2026

This #MapMonday, we're having a small pause from the Half Inch journey, whilst we realise that in January we completely missed two 1975 Quarter Inch OSI #maps for the southern part of #Ireland. So, we'll go a long way to make it up... buff.ly/4SHJ4vc

Map extract from the Ordnance Survey Ireland Quarter Inch map from 1975 showing the area around Tipperary

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 25/05/2026

Phew! What a scorcher! And what more could we ask to enjoy the warm weather this #MapMonday than to spend some of it in front of some newly uploaded Half Inch #maps of Ireland on SABRE Maps, from between 1948 and 1952. buff.ly/36FVAf4

Map extract from the Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland Half Inch map of Omagh, dated 1948.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/05/2026

*waves in old maps* We only go back to WW1, but we have a LOT of sheet revisions that others don't.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 18/05/2026

So the challenge here is, using our Map Fader functionality to compare the two editions, what differences can you find? buff.ly/7S7rENM

buff.ly

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 18/05/2026

A challenge for everyone this #MapMonday! We've added four Half Inch #maps from 1945 and 1946; and two of them are two different revisions of the Ordnance Survey Half Inch District sheet of Greater London, as well as two sheets covering parts of Ireland.

Map extract from the Ordnance Survey OS map of Greater London at the Half Inch scale from 1945, showing the Woking, Weybridge and Chertsey area.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 11/05/2026

New on SABRE Maps this #MapMonday? Half Inch #maps from 1939 - covering parts of all of the nations of our islands. Once again, it's amazing how much change there has been since these map was published - the Falls Road really isn't on the edge of Belfast any more for example! buff.ly/Uch0OEX

An extract from the Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland OSNI Half Inch map of Belfast from 1939.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 11/05/2026

Not just railway enthusiasts but other transport enthusiasts too! This is why we at SABRE Maps exists, and why we happily accept donations of any map we don't have.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 09/05/2026

You mention the NLS, and Landrangers, but have you found us yet? As brilliant as the NLS Maps website is (and we are big fans!), they don't have the sheer number of individual map revisions at our chosen scales that we do...

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 07/05/2026

As a reminder, we have every single edition of every single OS One Inch Seventh Series available to view on SABRE Maps! ...except that one pesky sheet of Doncaster (Revision A/) which we cannot find anywhere, so if anyone has one, or know anywhere that has one, please let us know!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 04/05/2026

Five more new #maps have been made available on SABRE Maps this #MapMonday at the Half Inch scale from 1936-37. Our favourite is definitely the Peak District district map, featuring those well-known Peak District places like Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and North Florida... buff.ly/F4gISgn

Map extract from the Ordnance Survey OS map at the Half Inch scale of the Peak District from 1936 showing part of southern Lancashire

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/04/2026

Or that we can all work together for the common good of course - for example, there's no reason why a local history society couldn't reach out to us to ask specifics about their local area. We are likely to have big picture items that they don't, whilst they will have local detail we don't.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 29/04/2026

Some of it, of course, is that there are other ways to enjoy different strands of history that aren't specifically local history. For example, take us - we're in no way a local history group, but are interested in specific historic fields - UK and Irish roads and mapping etc in our case.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 27/04/2026

Just the one additional sheet to highlight on SABRE Maps this #MapMonday - the 1935 Ordnance Survey Half Inch #Map of Greater London. Taking in a lot more than the modern definition of Greater London, it includes lots of places that look very, very different today... buff.ly/YvH8yy9

An extract from the 1935 Greater London Half Inch OS map showing what today is Milton Keynes, but back then was fields and villages

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/04/2026

Three more Ordnance Survey #map sheets have been added to SABRE Maps for #MapMonday, at the Half Inch scale showing the English Midlands in 1934. The Birmingham District Yard Grid sheet shows just how much the West Midlands conurbation has merged together over the last 90 years! buff.ly/50ZNiZO

Map extract from the 1934 Ordnance Survey OS map at the Half Inch scale of Birmingham District, showing what is now the West Midlands conurbation, and how the Black Country really was lots of small towns back then between Birmingham to the SE and Wolverhampton to the NW.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/04/2026

There's a lot of old maps for which there weren't many printed, so the thought that someone might cut one of the last copies up for a craft project is scary to us! We always ask if people can scan them first, and donate those map scans to us so that we can make sure they are preserved.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/04/2026

And if you take a look at SABRE Maps, you'll find that we've got a huge range of one inch maps from that era - literally every revision ever printed, bar one single edition of the Doncaster sheet. It always fascinates up looking at the road and rail networks of the past.

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 20/04/2026

And now of course, we have websites like ours and the @natlibscot.bsky.social bringing the mapping to the people, and ensuring that they're both accessible and are preserved for future generations to enjoy. It's not quite the same as the real paper ones though!

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SABRE Maps @maps.sabre-roads.org.uk · 16/04/2026

Ahem, @bucksarchives.bsky.social - don't forget about us too! The NLS aren't the only "map database" in these here parts...

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