Personalised Old Map - Make Your Own 1800s and 1900s Ordnance Survey Postcode/Zipcode Street Map

This is a fully personalised map of your hometown, street or postcode/zipcode, with your house (or someone else's!) focused in the middle of the map.

The most thoughtful gift idea

I have made thousands of custom maps, and most of them have been gifts for other people. Not a single one has ever been returned for a refund. In fact, usually I receive a lovely email about how the recipient loved their map, and spent hours poring over all the details! And then they usually buy another personalised map for another friend, another grandparent, their dad..

This will probably be the best gift you buy for someone this year.

My personalised maps are perfect as birthday, housewarming and anniversary gifts. (And of course, as they're printed on paper, you would get bonus points for giving one of these maps for a paper wedding anniversary!)

How to order a custom made map

You need to pick a size, whether you want the map framed or unframed, and the orientation of the map (landscape, portrait or square).

No matter what size you order, the text and map will be sharp and readable. If you choose a smaller size, the map will be more 'zoomed in', and larger maps will cover a wider area.

Then, you must at least fill in the 'map address' box. I will make a map that is focused on this address. It can be a street name, postcode, town, etc.

Map age & style

You can then choose the age of your map, and the style. The detailed street maps, which show just about every house and road, are available from roughly 1870 to 1960 (but it does vary a bit by city and area).

I also have a more colourful, topographical map style. These are less detailed: they show some buildings, but no street names. You can see some examples of these colourful maps in the product gallery.

Free personalisation

Now's your chance to make your map truly unique! In this box, tell me about any special customisations that you would like. Do you want your house highlighted? A short message added to the map? An illustration of your dog? Your family coat of arms? Learn more about map personalisation and see some examples.

Gift message, frame customisation, ageing...

Finally, there are a few more options to choose from. If you order a framed map, you can pick a different frame colour or material. If you prefer an older looking map, select 'aged' before adding it to your basket.

A variety of sizes are available, all the way from 8x10 inches (20x25cm) up to a map that is a few metres wide.

During very busy periods, such as Christmas, we may not have time to send you a draft of your personalised order. This is because we want to get everyone’s order sent out in time, and the approval process can delay delivery by 1-2 days. Contact me if you must see a draft of your order before we send it out and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Your map will be based on an Ordnance Survey map from the beginning of the 19th century. The oldest map I will use to create your personalised map is from the 1850s. Usually I will use a map from 1890 to 1910, as those maps have a little colour in them and they're more interesting. I will try to find the oldest map that has your house on it.

If you would like a later map, I can create personalised maps up until the 1960s. This might be helpful if you live in a house that was built in the last 50 or 60 years. These newer maps have slightly less 'character' than the old ones. But if you live in a Victorian or earlier house, it will usually be visible on the early 1900s maps.

If you would like a highly customised map, or you want something a bit different from what you see in the product gallery, please get in touch before you order. I have been customising maps for decades and can do almost anything you can imagine to make your map truly unique.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x18 inch (60x45cm) version of this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving or housewarming gift for anyone who is looking for something more personal.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and custom made maps take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes a day or two.

Please note that for larger framed orders (over 40in/100cm), and some other framed sizes, the delivery time will be closer to 7-10 days.

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 in 22 countries around the world. This means your map will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and reduces the chance of your map being damaged during delivery. There won't be any extra taxes or duties to pay, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

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

I try to send out all maps within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks or mugs) 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).

We can sometimes do next-day delivery if you order before 10am. But usually it's best to contact me first before you order.

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 are also available as a framed canvas. The map is printed on matte (not shiny) canvas, stretched over a box frame, and then 'floated' within a simple wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing in front of your map.

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 on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map yourself, please read my map 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 unique map for any reason, contact me for a no-quibble refund.

I am very confident you will like your old map. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and have over 4,000 real 5-star reviews.

I use a unique process to restore my maps that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore the maps. As a result, I guarantee my maps are a cut above the rest - that's why I can offer a no-quibble refund.

Almost all of my maps 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.