The National Library of Scotland has a new interactive tool on its website that overlays old maps of Great Britain with satellite imagery and allows you to see how the country has changed from when some of your ancestors lived there to now. The old maps of England, Scotland and Wales were published from the 1890s to 1950s.
Rettendon, Essex, England, 1900s. Source: National Library of Scotland.
All you need to do is select a county and a parish. You can also select old maps from different time periods.
Use the wheel on your mouse to move from the satellite image to the historic map and zoom in and out, or you use the plus and minus signs in the top left corner of the screen.
In some cases, especially cities, it can be easier to first locate a particular street on Google Maps and then look for it on the old map and satellite image.
If you like exploring British maps, the National Library of Scotland’s website has a tremendous number to view. It’s a site worth bookmarking.
