Town plan of London in 1833

Laurie's New Plan of London and Its Environs (1833)

This highly detailed 1833 town plan of London is based on John Outhett’s original survey and published by Richard Holmes Laurie. It captures London during a period of rapid urban transformation, documenting major new developments, early railway routes, proposed infrastructure, and expanding suburban districts in remarkable clarity.

The map extends from Hyde Park and Pimlico across to Hampstead, Stoke Newington, the East India Docks, Greenwich, Camberwell, and Battersea, offering one of the most comprehensive early-19th-century depictions of the capital.

Key Historical Features Highlighted on the Map

This 1833 plan includes several important early London landmarks and planned projects:

• Chelsea, Belgravia & Pimlico shown during active development

• Eaton Square newly laid out (begun 1827)

• Portland Town (now St John’s Wood) marked as new housing for working families

• Lambeth Bridge and the Thames Tunnel labelled as “proposed”

• London & Greenwich Railway, London’s first railway (marked three years before opening)

• The Twopenny Post Circle, defining the postal boundary of the time

These details make the map an exceptional record of pre-Victorian London, illustrating the city at the moment it began shifting towards modern urban planning.

Specifications

About the Publisher – Richard Holmes Laurie

Richard Holmes Laurie (1779–1858) was one of London’s leading map and chart publishers during the early 19th century. Based at 53 Fleet Street, the Laurie family firm, originally Laurie & Whittle, was renowned for producing highly detailed town plans, sea charts, atlases, and large-format wall maps. Laurie played a significant role in documenting London’s rapid expansion, commissioning new surveys and updating existing plates to reflect the city’s continual development. His publications were widely used by merchants, travellers, government offices, and the growing middle class, making Laurie’s name synonymous with accuracy, clarity, and commercial cartography during the Georgian and early Victorian periods.