Carnarvonshire County, published in 1844 under the discerning editorship of Samuel Lewis and executed by the accomplished team of R. Creighton (draughtsman) and J. & C. Walker (engravers), distills a Welsh county in transition into a work of lucid authority. Hand-colored outlines cleanly separate administrative divisions, while fine hachures model the muscular rise of Eryri’s uplands against the softer littoral. The compass rose—tilting north toward the upper left—adds immediate navigational clarity, a Lewis hallmark that pairs elegance with utility. Roads, railroads, rivers, canals, and bridges are all crisply distinguished, ensuring that governance, commerce, and topography interlock on the page. As a county portrait at the dawn of industrial acceleration, the map captures Carnarvonshire’s coastal gateways and mountainous core with a balance of beauty and exactitude.

Along the north coast, the estuary of the Conwy and the bold promontory of Great Orme frame Llandudno and the fortified town of Conwy, their positions precisely fixed for the traveler and the antiquary alike. Westward, Bangor and Caernarfon anchor the Menai Strait, where the celebrated Menai Suspension Bridge, a marvel of early nineteenth-century engineering, is readily located as the essential crossing to Anglesey. The arterial route to Holyhead—Thomas Telford’s modern highway—threads cleanly across the county, while nascent rail corridors are signaled with the cartographer’s measured confidence. Shorelines, sands, and tidal reaches are carefully described so that harbors and river mouths read at a glance, binding sea-borne trade to inland routes.

The interior is dominated by the Eryri massif, its ridges and cwms carved into relief by fine hachures that convey both drama and direction. Llanberis sits cradled between Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), with valleys draining by the Seiont to Caernarfon and by the Glaslyn toward Porthmadog. Here the burgeoning slate economy announces itself in routes converging on Blaenau Ffestiniog, their alignment toward the coast underscoring industry’s pull. Early railways—most notably the pioneering narrow-gauge line carrying slate to Porthmadog—appear within a web of turnpikes, bridges, and rivers, illustrating how Victorian infrastructure began to tame the highland distances without diminishing the landscape’s rugged character.

To the southwest, the Llŷn Peninsula stretches out, its low, windswept spine dotted with market towns and harbors, including Abersoch and Porthmadog, and further south the shore-line town of Harlech stands sentinel above Tremadog Bay. The map’s color-keyed administrative boundaries make immediate sense of the county’s internal order, while a reference table deciphers the Poor Law Unions that reorganized local governance in the 1830s and 1840s. These Unions—groupings of parishes around hubs such as Bangor, Caernarfon, Conway, Pwllheli, and Ffestiniog—reveal a county calibrated to social care as well as to trade. Canals and bridges are neatly annotated, linking quarries, farms, and ports into a single economy readable from coast to crest.

Samuel Lewis, famed for his Topographical Dictionary and allied county atlases, brought a scholar’s rigor to the task; Creighton’s draughtsmanship supplies the measured geometry of towns, roads, and rivers, and the Walker firm—renowned for their precise line and delicate stipple—engraves it all with uncommon clarity. In concert, they present Carnarvonshire (modern Gwynedd) as mid-Victorian officials, merchants, and travelers knew it: a landscape of castles and crossings, quarries and coves, parishes and unions. The result is more than a map; it is a disciplined narrative of Welsh space at a pivotal moment, forecasting future connections even as it preserves the county’s historical texture—Eryri’s heights, the Menai’s tidal gleam, and the enduring rhythm of towns along the sea.

Cities and towns on this map

• Bangor (City)
• Caernarfon (Town)
• Llandudno (Town)
• Conwy (Town)
• Porthmadog (Town)
• Blaenau Ffestiniog (Town)
• Llanberis (Village)
• Harlech (Town)
• Abersoch (Village)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Towns and Cities: Clearly marked locations, including major settlements.
• Administrative Boundaries: Outlined divisions representing local government areas.
• Natural Features: Rivers and lakes detailed across the map.
• Transportation Routes: Roads and railroads depicted for ease of navigation.
• Canals & Bridges: Important infrastructural features noted for their significance to travel and trade.
• Compass Rose: A navigational tool helping determine directions.
• Reference Table: Key for understanding administrative divisions (Unions).

Historical and design context

• Publication Year: 1844
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Samuel Lewis; engraved by J. & C. Walker; drawn by R. Creighton.
• Samuel Lewis was known for his comprehensive geographical works and contributed significantly to cartography in the mid-19th century.
• Regions Covered: Carnarvonshire in Wales, known today as Gwynedd.
• Hand-colored with distinct outlines for various features.
• Hachures for relief representation, giving the terrain depth and dimension.
• Provides insights into the political and geographical landscape of mid-19th century Wales.
• Reflects meticulous mid-19th-century cartographic detail, serving as both a navigational tool and historical artifact.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.