Huddersfield Exposed: Mapping Project

A project is currently under way to geo-index a number of historic maps of the Huddersfield area.

One of the aims is to make it easier to locate locations and properties which may not longer exist, or are no longer known by their historic name. For example, rows of terraced houses were sometimes named after their builder or a notable person who resided in them, or were given a name which differed from the street name — this often makes finding them on a modern map impossible, as the names fell out of use after street numbering was widely adopted.

part of the 1890 Town Plan

Typically, the project involves:

  • indexing all named features on the map (with some exceptions noted below), such as named private houses and terraced rows, churches, schools, mills, dye works, mill ponds, springs and wells, quarries, roadside milestones, guide posts, etc
  • creating an accurate geo-location
  • comparing the location on Google Maps and noting if the feature still exists in the way it is shown on the map
  • checking if the feature has been granted a listed status by English Heritage

The data will then be used to create basic stub entries on Huddersfield Exposed, some of which will hopefully then be expanded in the future.

Free dataset file downloads (XML) are also available for each completed map. A description of the file structure can be found here.

Tip: If you are searching for a particular building or location, try using the site's search box at the top of each page.

Update: March 2018

The entire 1890s and early 1900s 1:2,500 O.S. maps have now been indexed and this supersedes the maps listed below in the "Ongoing" section. The first series O.S. maps (published in the early 1850s) will be geoindexed next.

Exceptions

  • road and streets are excluded unless they no longer exist — the ease of finding these on Google Maps, etc, makes this unnecessary

Project Status

Completed

  • 1851 Ordnance Survey Town Plan — a highly detailed 1:1,056 scale map of Huddersfield town centre along with some of the adjoining districts
  • 1890 Ordnance Survey Town Plan — a highly detailed 1:1,056 scale map of Huddersfield town centre, along with parts of Lockwood, Milnsbridge, Crosland Moor, Greenhead, Paddock, Birkby and Dalton
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey — section of the 1:2,500 Yorkshire sheets, centred on grid reference SE 4115 4075 and including Holmbridge, Austonley, etc.
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey — section of the 1:2,500 Yorkshire sheets, centred on grid reference SE 4145 4075 and including Holmfirth, Cartworth, Scholes, etc.
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey — section of sheets centred on grid reference SE 4205 4165, which includes Lepton and the Whitley Beaumont Estate
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey — section of sheets centred on grid reference SE 4145 4105, which includes Honley, Brockholes, Thongsbridge and part of Holmfirth
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey — section of sheets centred on grid reference SE 4145 4195, which includes Fartown, Sheepridge, Fixby, etc.
  • Meltham (South) 1904 Yorkshire Sheet 260.13 (Godfrey Edition) — reproduction of a 1:2,500 scale O.S. map which covers the southern section of Meltham
  • Huddersfield (East) 1905 Yorkshire Sheet 246.16 (Godfrey Edition) — reproduction of a 1:2,500 scale O.S. map which includes Moldgreen, Dalton Green, Grove Place, Tamden, etc

Ongoing