An Historical Map of York (The Historic Towns Trust, £9.99)

Last year the Historic Towns Trust published the Historical Atlas of York. It is a huge, beautiful £70 volume which distils years of research into the history and archaeology of York and brings it all together in the form of beautifully-drawn maps and concise, well-researched articles.

It may be beautiful, but it is also expensive. Now, however, the Historic Towns Trust have brought out a much more affordable, folded map version of the most popular of the historical maps of York, which covers medieval times to 1850. And a real treat it is.

In the introduction by Peter Addyman, he explains the different periods of York history from its early founding by the Roman IXth legion (Hispana) in about AD 71, up to the terraced suburbs of 1850.

We love pouring over the map and spotting all the things that we can still find in York today and all those that are gone: for instance, there was once a tobacco pipe factory just outside the walls at the bottom of Gillygate, and a wool market at Peasholme Green. Peasholme Green incidentally derives its name from being the area for Pea growers.

On the back of the map is a Gazetteer of York’s historic buildings and sites plus a list of parish churches and chapels in York and some definitions of old street names, for instance Lendal comes from the old Norse “lending” as it was the nearby landing place.

York has such a rich history, so it is very useful to have a visual guide such as this to the context and development of our beautiful city.

Reviewed by Philippa Morris, little Apple bookshop