Cardiganshire County is the original title of this 1844 sheet, issued by Samuel Lewis & Co., drawn by R. Creighton and engraved by J. & C. Walker. It distills Lewis’s larger ambition: to record, with scholarly care, the local geography and history of Britain’s counties at a moment of accelerating change. Hand-colored outlines articulate the county’s administrative fabric, sharpened by crystalline lettering and the fine web of roads and waterways. Relief is expressed by precise hachures that give the uplands and valleys a tactile presence, while a handsome compass rose tips north toward the upper left, quietly guiding the eye. The result is a balanced composition—both practical guide and learned portrait—capturing Cardiganshire as it was known in the mid-nineteenth century.

Administrative boundaries are the map’s framework, with unions and local government divisions labeled to illuminate how authority and responsibility were organized. Cities and boroughs are marked by disciplined dots and clearly set type, their hierarchy intuitively legible at a glance. The county’s principal towns—Aberystwyth and Cardigan on the coast, Lampeter and Tregaron inland, Llandysul near the southeastern edge, and the seaside communities of New Quay and Aberaeron—appear as anchors in a well-ordered landscape. Borders are not mere lines but narratives: they trace parish edges, jurisdictional seams, and historic allegiances, revealing how communities clustered along routes, rivers, and sheltered bays.

Transportation networks stitch these communities together. The principal roads are drawn with confident continuity, tying market towns to ports and linking upland settlements to the coast. Rail corridors are indicated with an eye to clarity, signaling the arrival of modern movement and the changing patterns of commerce and travel. Major rivers and canals are mapped as arterial pathways—lifelines for goods, people, and ideas—complementing the terrestrial grid. Collectively, these routes sketch a county alive with circulation: inland produce moving outward, imported goods moving inward, and information flowing between parish seats, schools, chapels, and market squares.

Topography, rendered through hachures, gives Cardiganshire its spatial drama. The shaded strokes suggest a backbone of uplands descending toward Cardigan Bay, with valleys opening into ribbons of cultivation and settlement. Coastal indentations, from the roadstead of Aberystwyth to the coves near New Quay and Aberaeron, add a maritime cadence, as headlands and estuarine inlets shape harbors and approaches. Rivers carve practicable corridors that the road network follows, while the varying density of place-names hints at the contrast between fertile bottoms and higher, rougher ground. The interplay of relief and habitation is quietly didactic: the land’s form explains the county’s pattern of life.

Samuel Lewis’s enterprise was to make the local knowable—comprehensive, readable, and dependable—and this map exemplifies that ethos. Creighton’s draughtsmanship supplies orderly geometry; the Walkers’ engraving translates it into crisp linework and elegant type, ensuring boundaries, roads, and hydrology remain distinct even where they crowd together. The hand-applied color heightens legibility without overwhelming the page, an editorial choice that reflects the cartographic standards of the 1840s. For historians of governance, students of Welsh topography, and anyone tracing family or place through time, the sheet preserves contemporaneous names and jurisdictions—evidence fixed before later reforms altered the county’s administrative landscape. It is both a geographic tool and a historical argument, gracefully made.

Cities and towns on this map

• Aberystwyth
• Cardigan
• Lampeter
• Tregaron
• Llandysul
• New Quay
• Aberaeron

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Administrative boundaries outlined in distinct hand-colored lines.
• Cities marked with dots and labeled clearly.
• A network of roads and railroads illustrated for navigation.
• Major rivers and canals depicted, indicating water transportation routes.
• Relief details expressed through hachures to represent topography.
• A compass rose in the upper left corner for orientation.
• Labels indicating unions and local government divisions.

Historical and design context

• Creation Date: 1844.
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Samuel Lewis and Co.; drawn by R. Creighton, engraved by J. & C. Walker.
• Context about the Mapmaker: Samuel Lewis contributed significantly to the topographical representation of Great Britain, Scotland, and Ireland, aiming to document local geography and history comprehensively.
• Design/Style: Hand-colored outlines to clarify borders and features; hachures to represent relief; compass rose with north toward the upper left.
• Historical Significance: A key resource for understanding 19th-century local geography and cartography standards, reflecting scholarly documentation of English localities.
• Countries/Regions: Focuses solely on Cardiganshire, a historical county in Wales.

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.