Glamorganshire County is the original title of this 1844 presentation of Wales’s dynamic southern shire, drawn by R. Creighton, engraved with crystalline finesse by J. & C. Walker, and issued by Samuel Lewis & Co. within the celebrated topographical corpus that defined his age. Hand-colored outlines clarify county and sub-county jurisdictions, while elegant hachures model the land’s rise and fall with tactile immediacy. A delicate compass rose, its north pointing to the upper right, orients the viewer to coast and upland alike. Conceived to accompany Lewis’s meticulous entries on local history, economy, and governance, the map distills a wealth of information into a composition at once scholarly and beautiful—an authoritative snapshot of Glamorgan’s boundaries, settlements, waterways, and routes at the threshold of the railway era.

Bordered by Brecknockshire to the north, Carmarthenshire to the west, and Monmouthshire to the east, Glamorganshire unfurls from the Bristol Channel shore to the moor-fringed uplands. The map’s shaded hachures emphasize the classic South Wales pattern: steep, parallel valleys descending from coal-bearing heights toward a gentle maritime plain and the fertile Vale of Glamorgan. The Gower Peninsula sweeps west of Swansea in bold coastline, while the mouths of the Taff at Cardiff and the Tawe at Swansea anchor the urban coast. Rivers—Taff, Ely, Rhondda, Ogmore, Neath, and Tawe—are traced meticulously, their meanders, confluences, and crossings plotted with bridges noted. These watery corridors, together with low passes sketched by relief, explain the siting of roads, towns, and ports that dot the county from hilltop to headland.

Urban and industrial life is mapped with equal care. Cardiff, Swansea, and Merthyr Tydfil stand out as boldly lettered hubs, their prominence balanced by market towns and villages—Pontypridd in the Taff valley, Cowbridge in the rural Vale, Llantwit Major on the ancient coast, and Treforest amid the rising coal belt. Roads radiate in disciplined strands, connecting boroughs, ports, and upland works, while the nascent railways are crisply engraved: notably the Taff Vale Railway threading from Merthyr toward Cardiff, emblem of the new velocity of movement. Canals—among them the Glamorganshire and Swansea lines—run in purposeful courses beside their companion rivers, punctuated by bridges and junctions. Together, these routes sketch the infrastructure that powered mid‑Victorian Glamorgan, from upland pit and furnace to coastal quay and outward to the Bristol Channel.

Administrative intelligence underpins the sheet. County, borough, and parish limits are cleanly distinguished by the hand-colored outlines and varied line-weights, letting the viewer follow jurisdictional transitions at a glance. A reference key at the foot enumerates Poor Law Unions—Cardiff, Merthyr, Swansea, Neath and others—linking civil governance to the mapped landscape at a moment of national reform. Symbols quietly annotate churches, significant buildings, bridges, canals, and the graded hierarchy of roads, while the engravers’ disciplined lettering separates market towns from smaller settlements through scale and style. The compass rose aligned to the upper right supplies instant orientation, and the calibrated hachures not only dramatize relief but also clarify watershed divides and passable routes, marrying elegant design to practical, data-rich intent.

Behind the image stand three masters of Victorian cartography. R. Creighton’s draughtsmanship—shaped by years of work for Samuel Lewis—balances exact measurement with a humanist sense of place, yielding maps that read as narratives as much as inventories. The engraving by brothers J. & C. Walker brings that narrative to life: their line is fine, legible, and durable, honed on projects from county surveys to the SDUK and Admiralty charts. As publisher, Samuel Lewis integrated this plate into his sweeping topographical dictionaries, marrying descriptive essays with precise, uniform mapping to create a definitive geography of England and Wales. Glamorganshire County thus captures a county in transition—industrial arteries quickening, administrative frameworks settling—rendered with a clarity and grace that continue to reward sustained, inquisitive looking.

Cities and towns on this map

• Cardiff (modern population: approx. 362,000)
• Swansea (modern population: approx. 246,000)
• Merthyr Tydfil (modern population: approx. 60,000)
• Pontypridd (modern population: approx. 32,000)
• Cowbridge (modern population: approx. 4,000)
• Llantwit Major (modern population: approx. 12,000)
• Treforest (modern population: approx. 7,000)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Clearly delineated administrative boundaries of Glamorganshire.
• Major cities and towns marked with labels.
• Rivers and their paths prominently illustrated.
• Roads and railroads shown, indicating transportation routes during the period.
• Canals depicted to represent waterways for transport.
• Hachured lines representing elevation changes in the terrain.
• Compass rose for navigation.
• Reference key for unions located at the bottom.
• Details on settlements, likely historical significance, indicated throughout.

Historical and design context

• Publication Year: 1844.
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Created by R. Creighton and engraved by J. & C. Walker, published by Samuel Lewis and Co.
• Context about the Mapmaker: Samuel Lewis was known for his detailed topographical dictionaries documenting local history and geography in England and Wales.
• Regions Shown: Glamorganshire County in Wales, bordered by Brecknockshire, Carmarthenshire, and Monmouthshire.
• Design/Style: Hand-colored outline with hachured relief; ornamented with a compass rose indicating north towards the upper right.
• Historical Significance: A key mid-19th-century document illustrating Glamorganshire’s geography and administrative structure; part of a topography-focused atlas.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

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, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

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.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

Alcune delle mie vecchie mappe sono ora disponibili come tele incorniciate. Per favore contattami se desideri ordinare una dimensione che non è disponibile nel mio negozio.

Le vecchie mappe su tela sono un'alternativa interessante alle mappe incorniciate in modo convenzionale. A seconda del tuo gusto personale e dell'arredamento della stanza, le mappe su tela possono "risaltare" un po' di più rispetto a una mappa incorniciata.

Scopri di più sulle mie mappe su tela incorniciate.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.