Maps, both print and digital, can be a useful source of information across a range of different disciplines. Current town and land maps can provide many levels of detail across a range of infrastructure, while historical maps can demonstrate development across the centuries. Other thematic maps also offer Social and Physical Science disciplines the chance to map societal or environmental trends.
The printed map collection is on Level 4. Special Collections also contains some printed historic maps. Online access to maps is provided through Digimap. Once registered, you can login using your campus ID. Find out more about Digimap on the Digimap page.
Printed Maps
The Philip Robinson Library has a collection of Ordnance Survey and Geological Survey maps, with indexes to the maps kept on top of the map cabinets.
This guide outlines the detailed contents of the collection and gives hints on finding maps in the Philip Robinson Library. This handout also provides some help deciphering scale.
Freely available mapping services
- OS Open DataFreely available Ordnance Survey maps
- MAGIC MapsMAGIC brings together environmental information from across government. It is hosted by Defra and managed by Natural England
- Google MapsMaps and aerial photos from around the world
- Google Earth3D images
- Bing mapsMaps and aerial photographs.
- StreetmapGreat Britain street and road maps.
- Directory of UK Map CollectionsBritish Cartographic Society directory of institutions and their map collections.
- National Library of Scotland - mapsMap collections for Scotland, including county maps, town plans, land utilisation surveys and soil survey maps.
- Old maps onlineThe broadest single collection of historical maps from around the world. The JISC-funded site, described by its creators as like Google for old maps, will act as a central repository to a vast collection of maps held by institutions across the globe. It is the first time that access to such an extensive collection has been made available online. The service, hosted by the University of Portsmouth, launches with over 60,000 maps which will soon double
- OpenGeoScienceA free service where you can view maps, download photographs and other information.
Use OpenGeoscience material free-of-charge for non-commercial private study, research and educational activities. - Ocean Data View (ODV)Exploration, analysis and visualization of oceanographic and other geo-referenced profile, time-series, trajectory or sequence data.
- SoilscapesSoilscapes is a freely available resource that provides a 1:250,000 scale, simplified soils dataset covering England and Wales.
See Soils Site Reporter for more detailed and downloadable reports. - Soils Site ReporterThe Soils Site Reporter is a soil reporting tool which produces site-specific soils information with maps and soil descriptions. Reports can be downloaded in pdf format. You will need to register (as Student or Academic Staff as appropriate) in order to access Soils Site Report for free. You must use your University email to register.
