CHESHIRE in the 19th century is being put into a modern day context thanks to new interactive maps.

Historic land use maps held by Cheshire Archives and Local Studies – dating back to the 1830s – have been uploaded alongside modern day aerial images to see how the layout of our towns has changed.

Visitors to the website – run by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council – can compare and contrast the 19th century Tithe maps with modern aerial data, seeing who lived where and what the land was used for.

And a large portion of Warrington has also been included in the maps.

David Matthews, GIS officer at Cheshire Shared Services, said: “Being able to include the contemporary aerial photography within the Tithe maps online web service allows users to compare and contrast the mid 19th century maps with the modern landscape.

"This is a valuable resource for historic research and genealogical studies. The fact the imagery is available at no cost to the council was a driving force in this development.”

Warrington Guardian:

The Tithe Commutation Act of 1836 established a procedure whereby tithes, previously paid by goods or produce, could be converted to money.

This required the accurate mapping of all land parcels within a parish.

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Up-to-date aerial photography, captured by Bluesky and Getmapping, is also shown alongside modern and historic Ordnance Survey mapping as part of the Aerial Photography for Great Britain (APGB) contract with the Geospatial Commission.

Visit maps.cheshireeast.gov.uk/tithemaps and move up to find a large part of south Warrington on the map and a small section of the north of Warrington.