Oh, I don’t know…

This is in part because, after two years, I’m very much missing London. And besides, I’m working on Book 2 of the Tom Walsingham Mysteries, so I’m up to my ears in research…

Do you mind if I share a few lovely things I’ve found?

First of all, I’ve recently discovered this wonderful website called Know Your London. Lecturer Adrian Prockter shares a wealth of information about the history and places of London. Plenty of fascinating stuff, and a charming read. Try, for instance, this recent post about the Agas Map – which wasn’t really Ralph Agas’s work…

And speaking of the not-quite-Agas, I’ve already posted about it – but I’ll link it  again, because I’m in love with this digital, searchable version of the Agas – complete with a collection of documents. It’s a work in progress, so it’s worth visiting again and again to discover the new features.

Another beautiful map from the same period is the 1572 Braun & Hogenberg Map of London. It’s huge and detailed, and here you can see it in all the glory of a coloured courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

And while we are speaking of maps, shall we briefly stray from the Elizabethan Era for another wonderful thing? Up until a few days ago, I was also up to my ears in research for another project – this one with a Regency setting. Have a look at Romantic London to see how Matthew Sangster uses two versions of Richard Horwood’s Plan of London (one published in the 1790s and one in 1819) and combines them with several contemporary sources to explore not only the London of the time – but also the many ways in which it was represented and narrated… absolutely brilliant!

And I’ll say it again: I do love the Internet!