Template talk:GBvosi

Creates a link to the excellent maps at old-maps.co.uk.

The template name means:

GB		Great Britain - not UK - there is a separate OS for Northern Ireland
v		Victorian
os		Ordnance Survey
i		interactive - links to a map on which the user can pan, zoom, etc.

Parameters

• e, n - Eastings and Northings for the centre of the map - in metres. Leading zeroes optional. All digits are significant - a one metre change generates a different map.
• txt - link text - may be left null or blank

The following parameter was used in an earlier version of the template and is now obsolete. It may still be found in old links and may be left in place.

• cty - County Code (not used)

How to create

1. Go to http://www.old-maps.co.uk and select "Maps" from the menu bar.
2. Enter a location in the search box - this can be a town, street address or postcode.
3. Select the best match from the matches list box.
4. Note the northings and eastings from the coordinates boxes above the map.
   • If the map is not quite centred on the area required, use the navigation arrows on the border of the image box to move the map. The coordinates will update as you do so.
5. Add a explanation in the txt parameter.
   • The date can be included in the link or article text - but see note below regarding the reliability of the dates.

Dates

It looks, and is, more professional to quote a date rather than saying something like this Victorian OS map. However dates should be marked as only approximate for several reasons:

On the website, old-maps have created an audit trail back to the dates of the individual paper sheets they have used (each county needed a few dozen sheets). As you pan across the map display, you may see the date change, usually from one year to a range then back to one year. Where a range is shown, this means that the map on display is derived from two or more of the underlying sheets - the "stitch lines" between them are usually obvious at the largest scale. By judicious panning, keeping the point of interest in view, it is possible to get a single date shown which is the one to quote.

Even then the date is only the publication date as printed on the map, not the date of the survey. Before 1866, railways were sometimes added without changing the publication date. Conversely, the map may have been updated with important changes, such as railways, but other new developments are not shown.

Not Working

It appears that this template isn't working; maybe old maps have changed their URLs? Andy Mabbett 09:52, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it looks like the old maps site has had a revamp... it is no longer as useful as it used to be. This template should probably be marked as obsolete. —Jeremy (talk) 14:01, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

Now Working Again

I've fixed the template to use a new URL which now links to a whole collection of maps for the specified area. I can't claim credit for this as I discovered the new linking format at Old Ordnance Survey Maps. The county parameter appears to be no longer necessary. --DavidCane 16:41, 21 August 2007 (UTC)