Moor Row 2025: Cartographic Time Travel to the 18th Century

I recently embarked on a rather unique artistic experiment: capturing the modern geography of Moor Row (circa 2025) through the lens of an 18th-century cartographer. We often take the crisp, digital precision of Google Maps for granted. But there is a romance to the maps of the mid-1700s - a time when mapmaking was as much an art form as a science. Before putting pen to (virtual) parchment, I dived deep into the stylistic conventions of the era to ensure my hand-drawn recreation felt authentic.

Here is a look at the research and design choices that went into turning a modern village into an antique treasure.

The Canvas: The Texture of Time

The first step was forgetting modern white printer paper. Authentic maps from the 1750s were printed on handmade rag paper (typically linen or cotton), often ‘laid’ rather than machine-woven. This gives the surface a subtle texture and visible chain lines. For the Moor Row map, I simulated the effects of aging known as "toning" and "foxing." Over centuries, paper inevitably yellows, tans, and develops small rust-coloured spots. I ensured the background wasn’t a uniform colour, but rather a parchment tone with subtle mottling, darkened edges, and the very faint ghost of a centre-fold line - implying this map has been folded in a pocket or atlas for 275 years.

Map Sketch Of Moor Row
I Began By Drawing The Village


Hand Drawn, Coloured Map Of Moor Row, West Cumbria, UK
I Added Colour

The Palette: Restraint is Key

One of the most surprising findings in my research was how sparingly colour was used in the 18th century. Original prints were engravings (black and white), and if colour was added, it was done by hand using faint watercolour washes. To replicate this, I avoided saturated modern hues. Instead, I utilised a palette of warm sepias, ochres, faded greens, and muted blues. You’ll notice the colour in the final rendition is applied delicately - mostly to emphasize borders - leaving large areas of land in natural parchment tones. It mimics the look of pigment that has weathered and faded over centuries.

Baroque Flourishes: The Title Cartouche 

Perhaps the most striking feature of any antique map is the title cartouche. By the 1700s, these decorative frames were designed in the grand Baroque tradition - elaborate, theatrical, and symbolic. For the Moor Row title, I created a hand-drawn frame incorporating scrolling acanthus leaves and drapery. In the spirit of British maps of the era (like those by Vaugondy or Bowen), I included heraldic imagery - lions and a crown - to give the map a sense of official importance. It acts not just as a label, but as a miniature piece of art that anchors the composition.

The Compass and The Quill

Orientation was everything to the 18th-century traveller. I included a classic multi-pointed compass rose, a staple of the period. In keeping with tradition, North is marked with a fleur-de-lis, and the points use a muted pattern to differentiate the winds. Finally, the typography had to be just right. There were no digital fonts in 1750; everything was hand-engraved calligraphy. I used a style reminiscent of mapmakers Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Jefferys - an elegant serif script with an organic, flowing feel. The labels are placed horizontally or gently curved to fit the landscape, avoiding the rigid grid systems of today.

The Result

The finished piece is a blend of two worlds: the actual layout of Moor Row in 2025 (complete with the A595 and the Cycle Path), but dressed in the visual language of the enlightenment. It is a reminder that while the landscape changes, the beauty of documenting it remains timeless.

A hand-drawn map of Moor Row, UK, designed in a vintage 1750s style. The map features an aged parchment texture, an ornate baroque title cartouche with lions, and a classic compass rose.
Moor Row – Anno MMXXV
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

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ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS

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