1806 - C Smith, Southern England

This is the first map in the series to show Welcombe, although it is spelt 'Wellcombe'. No other hamlets are mentioned.

This is the first Ordnance Survey map of Welcombe but it does not include the whole village, indeed Welcombe is not written on the map. The coastal section will wait another 50 years before it is mapped (see below). Darracott is spelt Dairycot supporting the fact it is a corruption of 'Dairy Cottage'. Tredown is shown as 'Down'. The Old Smithy building does not exist yet, and there are a number of buildings at Witheford and Upcott that don't exist now. Hollacombe is yet to come into existence.

This map is based on the 1809 Ordnance Survey map and shows the parish council boundaries in the Bideford Union. At this time Welcombe appears much larger than today including Meddon to the east and north to Hardisworthy. This may explain why the 1831 census shows the parish area as 6,620 acres. It reduced to 1,751 acres in the 1851 census, close to the current size of around 1,790 acres.

This review proposed Devon is divided into two parliamentary divisions. Welcombe would be part of the northern division returning four MPs, south Devon would have 14 MPs. This map shows Welcombe being part of the Hartland Hundred. A Hundred is a county division used for military and judicial purposes. The basis of a 'Hundred' is obscure with no comprehensive definition.

This map is based on the previous 1932 boundary review map but includes polling places. Only Holsworthy and Torrington were shown as proposed local polling places, not Bideford.

Finally we get an Ordnance Survey map showing the coastal area of the village. Welcombe is spelt as Welcomb. Building locations may not be accurate. The map also shows Marsland Mill (now West Mill) and Strawberry Water.

This is the first of six maps covering the village in detail. The maps show all the fields with each numbered. This map shows the north-west part of the village, close to Welcombe Mouth. Strawberry Water is shown but The Hermitage and Meadowgate are yet to be built.

This map shows Welcombe (Town), Linton and Tredown. There are a number of buildings east of Linton Farm shown that no longer exist. There is also an additional footbridge that no longer exists linking Welcombe Barton to the bottom of Well Hill. Two lanes are also shown that can still be seen on satellite maps - Lanepark and Linton Lanes.

This third map Henaford and Hollacombe up to the A39. None of the current houses on the A39 existed, the area was woodland.

The fourth map shows Marsland Mouth and West Mill. West Mill is described as a corn mill. This does not mean it was only corn milled there, it is a general term for one that mills a variety of grains.

This fifth map covers Mead, Leddon and Darracott. Welcombe House is shown at its maximum size, before the fire. Berrypark is still a small cottage before its large extension.

The final map covers Upcott. Nearly all the buildings there currently are shown on this map.

This boundary review proposed to include Welcombe in a new Barnstaple parliamentary division. Welcombe itself appears erased from the map with most of the roads missing and no mention of the village!

This map is the first to show the boundary of Welcombe as it is currently. Welcombe is shown as being part of the Bideford borough.

This map shows Welcombe as being part of the Bideford Union and rural district. This is the first map showing Darracott with its current spelling.

This map gives the clearest indication yet of the parish boundary. It also shows the location of the smithy at Darracott. There is also the first evidence of buildings at Hollacombe.

Map of north Devon, Somerset and south Wales.

This the first map Bartholomew's published under their own name. The road from Tredown Cross, through Darracott to Mead was not considered passable (some may say it remains so!). The map shows the preferred route through Welcombe and the Gorge - not recommended now. The route to Morwenstow was the track from Mead Corner - definitely not recommended now!

Twenty years after the last OS map shows the emergence of some major properties in the village. This is the first mention of Welcombe school although evidence of a building in this location is shown on the 1900 map. Berry Park has been expanded to its current size. The Hermitage has also been constructed. This map view enables you to compare the 1905 OS map with a current satellite view.

Shows Welcombe as part of the Barnstaple parliamentary division.

Shows Welcombe still part of the Barnstaple parliamentary division, and Bideford Unions and Rural District.

Shows Welcombe still part of the Barnstaple parliamentary division, and Bideford Rural District. References to area unions are not shown suggesting they were no longer in operation.

Map of the south west including military bases. Welcombe is not shown.

Road through Darracott finally shown as 'serviceable' for motor vehicles.

This shows the usage of the land in 1944 which is very similar to today.

Brown = Arable land

Green = Meadowland and permanent grass

Yellow = Heathland, moorland and rough pasture

The first edition of the OS maps that are familiar today. Includes some properties in Welcombe such as Berry Park and The Hermitage. Known as sheet 174 in 1945, today the area is covered by map 190 - Bude & Clovelly.

Disagreeing with Bartholomew, this OS map shows the main road in the village as being the one that runs through Darracott.

Main road remains the one passing through Darracott.

Close to our modern format, this map finally shows both the road through Darracott and through Welcombe as being of equal quality.

One hundred and sixty years later, this is the final map in the sequence. Over 50 years after this map, the village layout and properties retain a footprint close to this map.