An early map of the road from London to Towcester

OGILBY, John.

The Road from London to Holy-Head co: Anglesey...
London, c.1675. Coloured. 330 x 445mm.

London to Towcester, via Islington, Highgate, High Barnet, St Albans & Dunstable. The road also goes through Milton Keynes without noticing, via Fenny Stratford, Bletchley & Stony Stratford.

Plate 21 from Ogilby's 'Britannia', the first road atlas of England & Wales, first published in 1675. It was only after his work that roads started being shown on county maps. The route is shown on scroll-like strips, with a decorative title cartouche, in this case divided into two parts: on the right is Ogilby pushing a 'way-wiser' (surveyor's wheel), a rider with a dioptra and a putti with a surveyor's chain; on the left is a post rider blowing a horn and putti with grapes and other produce.

Second state, with plate number bottom right.
Stock ID : 15101