OS Quarter Inch annual revisions

[Steven]

There's a few more Scottish 1950s sheets added tonight:

1951
Sheet 3 (The Forth, Clyde and Tay) 4th Ed Revision 2037

1955
Sheet 7 (Scotland North) 4th Ed no code

1957
Sheet 4 (Glasgow & the Middle West) 4th Ed Revision A//

1958
Sheet 7 (Scotland North) 4th Ed Revision A/

There's also a little mystery for you all to have a go at.

On the 1955 layer, we've got Sheet 7 (Scotland North). This edition of the map has no revision code printed on it to help us. All of marginalia is the same as the 1946 edition (except the lack of revision/print code), and all the relevant CCS guides either don't mention its existence, or don't know the date of it. It's on the 1955 layer simply to put it somewhere, though I'm pretty sure it's probably from earlier than that - and it's always possible that it's a straight reprint of the 1946 edition!

Simple question - can we figure out from the information on it, when it's actually from? To help the known date editions to either side are also on SABRE Maps - on the 1946 and 1958 layers; and then there's all the information stored in the SABRE Wiki too.

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 8&layer=20

[rileyrob]

It's not a straight reprint of the 1946 edition. That doesn't label the A840 in Thurso, and numerous route number labels in Caithness have been moved. It's not a reprint of the 1958 edition either, as the B801 isn't shown, but that doesn't narrow it down too much.

The railways might help us. It shows Birchfield Platform north of Rothes in Moray still open, and that closed in 1956. Also, Mosstowie west of Elgin which closed in 1955. The Fortrose Branch closed in October 1951, and all of these station are also shown as open.

Therefore it must date from between 1946 and late 1951.

[Steven]

It's not a straight reprint of the 1946 edition. That doesn't label the A840 in Thurso, and numerous route number labels in Caithness have been moved. It's not a reprint of the 1958 edition either, as the B801 isn't shown, but that doesn't narrow it down too much.

The railways might help us. It shows Birchfield Platform north of Rothes in Moray still open, and that closed in 1956. Also, Mosstowie west of Elgin which closed in 1955. The Fortrose Branch closed in October 1951, and all of these station are also shown as open.

Therefore it must date from between 1946 and late 1951.

I suspect it's probably nearer the 1951 date than the 1946 one, given the railway closures you've identified. Were there any earlier railway closures that anyone knows of in the area that might pin it down?

[Ross Spur]

I suspect it's probably nearer the 1951 date than the 1946 one, given the railway closures you've identified. Were there any earlier railway closures that anyone knows of in the area that might pin it down?

I think that Rob will have picked up all the railway station closures from the Atlas of Railway Station Closures. There are no others shown.

Would there be any other revisions to the Quarter inch maps other than roads and railways?

[rileyrob]

I think that Rob will have picked up all the railway station closures from the Atlas of Railway Station Closures. There are no others shown.

Would there be any other revisions to the Quarter inch maps other than roads and railways?

No, I did it the long handed way of jumping back and forth between the layers looking for differences! I then checked the station closure dates online.

I'm not sure there would be any other datable changes. Things like the growth of towns are mapped fairly haphazardly, and I don't think that changes to forestry will be sufficiently identifiable. I did check all the Hydro schemes and none seem to change enough between 1946 and 58 on the mapping, so I didn't look for opening dates.

[Steven]

Would there be any other revisions to the Quarter inch maps other than roads and railways?

Other than roads and railways revisions, there's a number of vague things like the generalisation and removals of minor roads in circa 1952, but as Rob says, a number of the other obvious items such as urban area changes are only reliable on full revisions, rather than partial - and we know from the marginalia that this is a partial revision. Reservoirs are probably the other really obvious item good for dating too, but I'm not sure there are any that far north? Ferries maybe?

[rileyrob]

Ferries maybe?

None of the island ferries are shown on the quarter inch maps at this time, but the coastal ferries are. However, as far as I can identify, the only coastal ferry that disappears between 1946 and 1958 is that across Loch Eriboll, which, according to Undiscovered Scotland ceased to operate in the 1890s when the road around the loch was completed!!

[Steven]

There's also a little mystery for you all to have a go at.

On the 1955 layer, we've got Sheet 7 (Scotland North). This edition of the map has no revision code printed on it to help us. All of marginalia is the same as the 1946 edition (except the lack of revision/print code), and all the relevant CCS guides either don't mention its existence, or don't know the date of it. It's on the 1955 layer simply to put it somewhere, though I'm pretty sure it's probably from earlier than that - and it's always possible that it's a straight reprint of the 1946 edition!

Simple question - can we figure out from the information on it, when it's actually from? To help the known date editions to either side are also on SABRE Maps - on the 1946 and 1958 layers; and then there's all the information stored in the SABRE Wiki too.

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... 8&layer=20

Following the discussion here (and on the various social media platforms about it - I've moved this map onto the more appropriate 1951 layer.

Thanks to everyone for putting on their deerstalkers on this!

[Steven]

The first batch of sheets that dropped out of copyright on 1 January are now up and on the 1973 layer, covering the majority of Great Britain.

They are:

* Sheet 2 (NW Scotland) Revision C
* Sheet 3 (Northern Scotland) Revision C
* Sheet 7 (Firth of Forth) Revision D
* Sheet 9 (NE England) Revision D
* Sheet 11 (N Midlands and Yorkshire) Revision D
* Sheet 12 (South Wales) Revision C
* Sheet 13 (The Midlands) Revision D
* Sheet 16 (Southern England) Revision D
* Sheet 17 (SE England) Revision D

Enjoy!

[Truvelo]

The first thing that caught my attention is the West Bromwich Expressway is shown as proposed/under construction. This opened in May of that year and I'm surprised it's not shown as open.

[Steven]

The first thing that caught my attention is the West Bromwich Expressway is shown as proposed/under construction. This opened in May of that year and I'm surprised it's not shown as open.

The publication date of that particular sheet was February so it's forgivable. The 1974 revision on the other hand, there's no such excuse. It finally appears in the 1975 revision.

[Ross Spur]

There's a mysterious road shown under construction to the east of Bradford and running towards Shipley. Any idea what this was?

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... layer=qi73

[Truvelo]

There's a mysterious road shown under construction to the east of Bradford and running towards Shipley. Any idea what this was?

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... layer=qi73

M650

[Steven]

There's a mysterious road shown under construction to the east of Bradford and running towards Shipley. Any idea what this was?

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... layer=qi73

M650

Is it? It's too far south for the first sections I would have thought.

[Ross Spur]

Would it be the proposed "Bradford North Radial Motorway" mentioned on the PM website and also by the CIHT https://ukmotorwayarchive.ciht.org.uk/m ... gion/m606/ ?
Have just noticed it was on the January 1972 map too. There's nothing shown as projected on the 1974 1:50000 map.

[ForestChav]

Well, this is interesting

Thanks Steven, and anyone else who has contributed to this happening.

[Truvelo]

Would it be the proposed "Bradford North Radial Motorway" mentioned on the PM website and also by the CIHT https://ukmotorwayarchive.ciht.org.uk/m ... gion/m606/ ?
Have just noticed it was on the January 1972 map too. There's nothing shown as projected on the 1974 1:50000 map.

Ah yes, the proposal on the OS map matches the blue section of this map perfectly. The M650 was a central government scheme shown in red. The section to the south was to be built by the local authority. Even the central government's large scale plans suddenly end at Gaisby Lane where the boundary of the two sections meet.

Presumably the OS thought Bradford's section would be built first

But then again, no junction was planned at Gaisby Lane so building just one section would leave traffic with nowhere to join or leave.

[Chris5156]

That has to be it! Odd that the Red/blue map doesn’t show the northward extension of the M606 to meet it, though.

[Truvelo]

That has to be it! Odd that the Red/blue map doesn’t show the northward extension of the M606 to meet it, though.

It's from a report dated March 1973. Maybe the northern part of the M606 had already been scrapped by then. It would have been a rather foolish decision though as it would force traffic travelling between the two motorways to use existing roads near the city centre. Perhaps that's why the A641 and A650 were dualled so they could sort of handle the traffic.

[Ross Spur]

Great maps all round, thanks both.

Now for the next conundrum... the Huddersfield Southern and Eastern Bypass and the Mirfield Bypass
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ind ... layer=qi73

Quite a lengthy scheme that again came to naught. It was in the 1969 Traffic and Transport Plan for Huddersfield, and the SE and E Bypass (described as freeway) was planned for completion by 1980. The Inner Ring Road was the main priority. Mirfield Bypass was a joint scheme with West Riding County Council.

There is a fistful of other schemes listed in the Huddersfield Weekly Examiner of 2 August 1969. I'll have a look at these in due course and probably list them on the Huddersfield Digest page.