Christopher Greenwood’s 1827 Map of the County of Shropshire was the most accurate 1” to the mile map of the county to be published before the first Ordnance Survey maps. It was part of an ambitious series intended to cover the entire country — an expensive project designed to appeal to country gentlemen. It records in great detail the state of the county at the height of the coaching and canal era. Numerous watermills, windmills, estates both large and small, turnpike roads and milestones, antiquities and industrial sites and other features are shown.

Only a few copies of the original map now survive and they rarely appear for sale. It was first published in six sheets at 3 guineas to subscribers. Anyone interested in the historical landscape of the county or its towns, villages and farms or with ancestors from the county will enjoy exploring this rare detailed record of Shropshire from the reign of George IV.

The Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society has reprinted Greenwood’s map of Shropshire. Copies are available at Shropshire Archives and Shropshire libraries.