GWR publicity collection
Maps
Early time books contained route maps and when travel books sterted to be produced, such as Holiday Haunts, they contined specially produced maps of the whole system or specific areas such as Devon or Cornwall. In 1914 the printer Emery Walker produced a new standard map showing land contours and with the GWR rail routes printed in black. After the grouping of the railways in 1923 those maps were reprinted with the rail routes shown in red. They were soon to loose the land contours and so took the form which, with occasional revisions to show changes to stations etc., continued to be used until the end of 1947 when the GWR became part of the nationalised railways. The printing of these later maps was undertaken by George Philip & Son. The system maps also had a variety of large-scale inserts, such as for South Wales or London, depending upon their intended use. Maps were made available to the public either in a folder or folded into a small envelope. The latter was included in many of the jigsaws made by Chad Valley and sold by the GWR and there are several jigsaws in our collection which still contained one of these maps.
Many different special maps were included with travel books as appropriate to cover different areas of the country. Books covering rambles and walking routes sometimes included both a fold-out area map and one showing an overview of the various walks covered. Some of the maps were printed on quite thin paper and so easily torn when being opened up. The Cathedrals series of books included a specially produced map on heavier paper in a pocket in the back which showed the location of all the Cathedrals, Abbeys, and Castles described in the books, and their nearest stations.
The range of maps published by the GWR was therefore vast and we can only touch on the subject here, concentrating on those maps of the system in our collection which were incorported into the time table and pocket time books or made available in their own right. Some examples of special maps included within travel and other books published by the GWR may be found in the relevant sections of this webste.
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Click or tap on any map thumbnail to see a larger image.
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Loose maps
Folded paper maps
At first glance the first three of the four maps below might appear to be identical but they all have detail differences. The key in the top right panel illustrates this as it includes, on the first folder map with the two coats of arms G.W.R. Road Motor Routes, G.W.R. Road Motor Routes Summer Services, and Coach Routes, on the later folder map with the single shield Road Motor Routes, on the folded map in an envelope Coach Routes and finally on the loose folded map, Coach Routes with the added comment Sea Distances are given in Nautical Miles.
Close inspection of the first folded map reveals what appears to be a circular Road Motor Route linking Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and Slough via Stoke Poges. This route does not appear on the other maps. This service is featured on a GWR Series 2 postcard
On the way to Beaconsfield by G.W.R. Motor Car
Author's collection, which was first published in 1904.
The final map is interesting as it marks the time when the Great Western Railway had just become the Western Region of the new British Railways following nationalisation in 1948. The double sided map has itself not been amended, but a note has been added below the border of each side indicating the change.
Map in folder (approx 20½" x 26⅛")
Printed by Emery Walker Ltd. inv.et sc.
Map in folder (approx 20½" x 26¼")
Printed by Emery Walker Ltd. inv.et sc.
Map in envelope (approx 20" x 26¼")
Printer not noted
Loose map (approx 19½" x 25¼")
Printedby "Geographia" Ltd., 55 Fleet Street, London E.C.4
British Railways (ex-GWR) map (approx 24⅝" x 8¾")
Printed by George Philip & Son Ltd., 32 Fleet Street E.C.4
Folded card maps
These double folded maps are obviously intended to be pocket sized and the later ones are printed on card which is reinfored with cotton threads to make them more durable. Inside they feature a map of the Great Western Railway system which, in the later version, is identical to that used in the 1938 pocket Time Table seen below. With all three examples, a table of distances of major stations from Paddington is included on one side of the outer cover and the opportunity is taken to advertise the 'Cathedrals Series' of books on the other. The outside of the earlier map is coloured yellow, whilst that of the later two, and slightly larger ones, are an orange. Two bear the name of Felix J.C. Pole who was General Manager between 1921 and 1929, and the third one that of James Milne who took over in 1929, so they can be placed in sequence. All the maps are undated but differ in detail. It is not thought that any more versions of these pocket maps were produced.
Folded card map (open approx 9⅝" x 5⅞") circa 1926
Folded card map (open approx 9¾" x 6¼") circa 1928
Folded card map (open approx 9¾" x 6¼") circa 1930
Time Table maps
1923 Time Table
Our 1923 Time Table contained three double-sided fold-out maps at the back. The first is only ⅔rds the width of the other two and the final map panel sports a large advertisement for the three hotels which the GWR were operating at the time.
1938 Pocket Time Table
Due to the size of the pocket books only a small much less detailed, single sided, map could be included. It was printed on heavier paper than those in the full sized time tables however and was therefore less prone to wear and tear. This example is identical to that used for the folded card map shown earlier.
1939 Time Table
As can be seen, by now GWR lines are printed in red on the system maps. Slight differences in detail reveal changes to stations and lines such as the addition of the new halt at Appleford which opened in 1933.
