prize7-4, Exercise 3: Reading an old county map

Model answer (method; the details depend on the map you choose):

1. Find a map: for example Saxton or Speed, in the National Library of Scotland, British Library or a county record office's online collection. Note the maker, date and publisher.
2. List what it shows: towns, rivers, hills drawn as small mounds, parks, roads (often few), county boundaries, coats of arms.
3. Compare with an earlier map of the same county if there is one. Features repeated with the same mistakes suggest copying.
4. Look for anything new: a changed place name, a new road or a better coastline.
5. Check against a modern map: which features have moved or vanished?

Conclusion to write: say which parts look surveyed and which look copied, and be honest about what you cannot tell from the sheet alone.