Much of our interactive mapping work commissioned by clients is private – intended for an organisation's internal use and therefore not available to show off as our work. However, one of the interactive maps we have built for The Dulwich Estate in south London is now displayed publicly on their website. A deep-zoom swipe map, it is intended to show thousands of Dulwich residents which properties and land is covered by The Dulwich Estate's Scheme of Management. You can view the map embedded on their website here or the full-size version here.The Dulwich Estate boundaries are based on historic mapping data which we had to examine in great detail, overlaying scans of old maps onto new digital ones. Swipe-comparison maps are a good solution when you want to compare historic with now. Another example is our Then and Now map of Whitechapel. ... Read more
The surprising story of Thomas Hardy in Surbiton
Hook Road in Surbiton is dotted with a few handsome villas that survive from the 1870s. One of these, a Victorian townhouse at number 15, bears a blue plaque for the famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy.It comes as a surprise to many to learn that Thomas Hardy was living in this vicinity in the mid-1870s. And perhaps even more surprising to know that Hardy's famous novel, Far from the Madding Crowd, was published at the time he lived here in Surbiton. Age 33 and newly married to his wife, Emma, the couple were starting their married life in lodgings here. Far from the Madding Crowd was about to launch Thomas Hardy's career.A further point of interest for the neighbourhood is that Hardy wrote poems about Surbiton, Southborough and Long Ditton whilst living here.History of the neighbourhoodHardy's home at St David's Villa was one of a row of houses built circa 1872 on the Hook Road, then also known as Southborough Road. This was a turnpike road, and the row of villas stood ... Read more
2,500 map plottings for Betjeman’s Best British Churches
One of our greatest projects for Harper Collins publishers recently involved the mapping and photography of churches around Britain. Altogether we plotted the location of 2,500 churches using digital GPS data and translating it onto printed maps. It represents a massive achievement and huge improvement on the original black and white map bullets in the earlier editions of the book. With the OS and GPS coordinates given for people with SatNavs and mobile devices, Thameside Media is delighted to have had the opportunity to bring this classic work into the digital age. ... Read more