New Historical Map Set to Illuminate Scarborough’s Past

A significant heritage project is underway in Scarborough, aiming to produce a detailed and authoritative historic map in partnership with the Historic Towns Trust.

The initiative, led by John Oxley, co-director of Big Ideas by the Sea, seeks to unlock and celebrate the town's profound archaeological and historical depth.

The project, which has been in discussion for a number of years, hopes to culminate in the map's publication in the autumn of 2026, potentially marking the final event in the celebration of ‘Scarborough 400’.

Mr Oxley detailed the motivation behind the initiative, noting the respected work of their partners:

"I've been talking for a number of years with the Historic Towns Trust, they produce these amazing historic maps of towns and cities.  So, wouldn't it be fantastic to have a historically accurate map showing where all the old buildings were, showing all of the sites, all the places, the hotels? Wouldn't it be fantastic to have a historic towns trust map for Scarborough?

So, we've got a group together. We've started raising money. We need £15,000 to make the map happen to print it. So, we're actively fundraising at the moment and we intend to publish the map in the autumn of 2026."

Big Ideas by the Sea confirmed that the initial fundraising target is £15,000 for printing. An additional £5,000, bringing the total to £20,000, is being sought to facilitate community work and engagement with local schools.

Documenting Deep History

The resulting map is intended to be a comprehensive resource, presented on a single sheet of paper akin to an Ordnance Survey (OS) map. Mr Oxley confirmed that the project is utilising the 1910 Ordnance Survey version as its base.

The map will serve as a vital guide, illustrating key features of the town's historical development. Mr Oxley explained the level of detail people can expect:

"On one sheet of paper like an ordinance survey map, we'll have one there the site of the friaries, where were the medieval friaries in Scarborough? Where were the town defences? As you walk along Auborough Street, do you know that the original defences used to run parallel to Auborough Street in the old town?

So, where were the gates into the medieval town of Scarborough? How did the harbour develop?

You'll have one huge sort of OS style land ranger map and all that information will be on it. So, you'll be a real go-to resource for people who live here, visitors, and particularly we hope for schools and school children."

The Research Challenge

Gathering the required historical data for such an “incredibly accurate and authoritative resource” presents an enormous challenge.

The project has enlisted the expertise of local historians and researchers. Chris Hall, who previously served as a conservation officer at the council and is described as a leading light in the archaeological society, is spearheading the research effort.

Mr Oxley praised the efforts of the researchers, who meet regularly at Scarborough Library:

"It is an enormous challenge. We're fortunate in Scarborough that we've got a lot of people who've spent a lot of time researching these things. So we've got Chris Hall who used to be conservation officer at the council leading light in the archaeological society and he's put together he's drawn together a group of people who meet in Scarborough Library and they're going through all the old directories, going through all sorts of old books and pulling out from the books from the directories from the maps and indeed from the excavations and the archival information all of the data that will make this map,this incredibly accurate and authoritative resource for Scarborough and the wider world."

The co-director of Big Ideas by the Sea stressed that the town’s history extends far beyond its more obvious landmarks, describing the importance of revealing its full timeline:

"Scarborough has this incredible time depth. Scarborough is an incredibly historic archaeologically rich place. The Roman signal station is not the beginning. This is a rich prehistoric landscape that is then developed and exploited.

And in the medieval period, of course, we have this amazing town placed here. It's just it's just an incredible story that we need to tell and celebrate."

Mr Oxley concluded by noting that the passion and expertise of the local population are critical to the project’s success, describing the skills and generosity of the town's inhabitants as "quite extraordinary".