Saxton's Atlas of England and Wales

Published in 1579, it was the very first printed atlas to comprehensively survey and chart the entirety of England and Wales. Before its publication, detailed maps of the region were incredibly rare and mostly manuscript-based. It set the standard for British cartography for centuries to follow.

The ambitious survey and atlas were commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I and orchestrated by her powerful advisor, Thomas Seckford. Saxton was granted special royal warrants allowing him to demand local assistance during his travels. The resulting maps proudly feature the royal coat of arms.

Christopher Saxton utilized triangulation, an advanced surveying technique for the time, alongside astronomical observations to calculate distances and positions. He then engraved the maps onto copper plates for mass printing in London. The atlas was printed by George Bishop and Ralph Newbery.

The complete atlas contains 34 beautifully detailed county maps of England and 1 general map of Wales. A highly decorative frontispiece was also included in the 1579 first edition. These maps remained the definitive source for English geography for over a century.