For comprehensive holdings of OS material the Map Libraries at the British
Library (now open at St Pancras) and the Bodleian Library in Oxford are
ideal. I have not yet used the new Map Library at the BL - the old map
Room used to have old editions of the 6" OS maps in handy bound volumes on
open shelves. Very useful for tracking mineral lines etc. The BL (and I
think the Bodleian) have microform versions of the original 2" OS
surveyors' maps from which the 1st edition 1" was reduced. These are often
the oldest maps of an area to show field boundaries although not entirely
accurately.
In the matter of charges the BL is, as yet, free, while the Bodleian
charges non-members of the University although an annual ticket is still
less than a day's search fee at the OS or at New Register House in
Edinburgh. Buying new large scale OS maps is getting really extortionate:
the last 1:10000 sheet I bought was 37 pounds and I think it has gone up
since then. Paying for your local OS agent to download and print out the
last digital update of a 1:2500 is so expensive I have put the cost out of
my mind.
Peter Northover
Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group,
Department of Materials,
University of Oxford
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