OS One-Inch Old Series / First Edition Map Viewer (Sheet 55)

Ordnance Survey One-Inch First Edition Old Map of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Radnorshire fringe, Brecknockshire fringe: Old Series map of OS Old Series Map Sheet 55 (Herefordshire / Worcestershire / Shropshire inferred).

Please note that the modern reference map on the split screen is intended as a guide only.

Old Series Map Index

 

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Landscape and Archaeological Assessment

Landscape Classification

This sheet represents a upland ridge-and-valley landscape, characterised by Shropshire Hills, Wenlock Edge, Teme/Clun valleys, Welsh Marches ridgeways and castle/market route nodes.

Archaeological Landscape

The primary archaeological theme is Shropshire Hills ridgeway, Welsh Marches castle-town, Roman-road and river crossing archaeology. Enhanced prediction from Roman-road, ridgeway, hillfort/enclosure, villa/estate, road-convergence and river-crossing logic.

High Visibility Locations

Wenlock Edge Ridgeway Belt

Terrain Archaeology

The terrain is interpreted using hachures. Relief is represented by hachures, allowing inference of ridgeways, high points, spur ends, valley approaches and likely route/crossing logic.

Main Geographic Information

The full monochrome Sheet LV image was used as the primary Sheet 55 source. The second uploaded file is a coloured Sheet 55 SE quarter/revision showing Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire/Berkshire-area content and is not the matching full Old Series sheet for this sequence. Large county lettering on the primary sheet indicates HEREFORDSHIRE across the lower half and WORCESTERSHIRE toward the east, with Shropshire / Welsh-border fringes inferred from settlement placement. Bounds are reconstructed from sheet-index geometry, adjacent sheet relationships and identifiable settlement / relief controls; graticule labels are faint.

Main Landscape Features

Sheet 55 shows a mixed area of upland ridge-and-valley Shropshire Hills, Wenlock Edge, Teme/Clun valleys, Welsh Marches ridgeways and castle/market route nodes . The map is useful for studying early 19th Century historic settlement patterns, Roman road alignments, early archaeological site indentification, how roads, old tracks, lanes and paths, villages, waterways and field systems related to the wider nineteenth-century landscape.

Main Geographic Features

Archaeological Predictions

Archaeological Hotspots

Wenlock Edge Ridgeway Belt is interpreted as a limestone ridgeway, enclosure and high-route landscape landscape. Ludlow / Teme Crossing Core is interpreted as a castle-town, Roman/medieval route and river crossing zone landscape. Long Mynd / Church Stretton Zone is interpreted as a upland ridge, hillfort/enclosure and valley route landscape landscape.

Historic Routes, Crossings and Connections

Wenlock Edge high-route corridor is interpreted as a prehistoric/Roman ridgeway corridor. Historic crossing points where roads, trackways or routeways converge on significant water features are widely recognised as archaeological hotspots. Crossing points often acted as gateways within the historic landscape. Because movement was channelled through these locations, archaeological evidence may occur both at the crossing itself and along the routes leading towards it, forming broader zones of archaeological potential rather than isolated sites.Ludlow-Church Stretton route corridor is interpreted as a Marches valley route. Historic crossing points where roads, trackways or routeways converge on significant water features are widely recognised as archaeological hotspots. Crossing points often acted as gateways within the historic landscape. Because movement was channelled through these locations, archaeological evidence may occur both at the crossing itself and along the routes leading towards it, forming broader zones of archaeological potential rather than isolated sites.Clun-Knighton border route is interpreted as a Welsh border river-valley route. Historic crossing points where roads, trackways or routeways converge on significant water features are widely recognised as archaeological hotspots. Crossing points often acted as gateways within the historic landscape. Because movement was channelled through these locations, archaeological evidence may occur both at the crossing itself and along the routes leading towards it, forming broader zones of archaeological potential rather than isolated sites.

Historic Gateways and Crossing Places

Ludlow Teme crossing is a major river/castle town crossing. Leintwardine crossing is a Roman/river crossing candidate. Clun river crossing is a border river crossing.

Main Places