Published almost 300 years ago by master mapmaker John Rocque, this is the first detailed map of West London and South West London. It was originally published in 1746, following a highly accurate survey of London and its suburbs starting in 1740. It is a beautiful, highly detailed and extremely rare old map.
This is sheet 10 of 16, covering the London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Richmond upon Thames., all of which form part of Greater London, located to the west and southwest of the city centre.
Home to two of London's famous football clubs, Fulham and Chelsea, both stadiums would be on this map in today's maps (but obviously had not been built in 1746!)
To the south of the River Thames is Wandsworth, home to England's oldest public railway, which opened over 50 years after the map was published in 1803.
Some of the locations on this map include: Fulham, Wandsworth, Putney, Battersea, River Thames, Hurlingham, Chelsea, Barnes, Roehampton, Hammersmith and Richmond upon Thames.
Rocque published two major maps of London. This map here is a single sheet from a very fine 16-sheet map of "London and 10 miles around". His other map, a 24-sheet map of central London with magnificent detail, is far more famous.
This map looks great at all sizes: 12x16in (30.5x41cm), 16x20in (40.5x51cm), 18x24in (45.5x61cm), 24x36in (61x91.5cm), 32x40in (81.5x102cm), 40x50in (102x127cm), 48x60in (122x153cm) and 56x70in (142x178cm), but it looks best at larger sizes.
I can create beautiful, large prints of this map up to 120in (305cm). Please get in touch if you're looking for larger, customised or different framing options.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40.5x51cm) version of this map.
The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.
If you’re looking for something slightly different, another option would be this amazing map of West London by Edward Stanford in 1891.
Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.
This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving or housewarming gift for someone interested in West London and South West London or someone from the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth or Richmond upon Thames.
This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.