House building and development in the Cotswolds in the last 5 years

Its been 5 years since I started designing decorative maps so I thought it about time to start a blog. The very first map I designed was The Cotswolds and after 5 runs around the sun I have sold 250 copies the limited 1st edition prints of the original and autumnal designs.

Most of the changes and improvements for the second editions are cosmetic. A change of colour here, adding in a detail there but it being 5 years later its important to 'update' it too with real changes that have taken place across the landscape since publishing the original map at the end of 2019.

One thing that has sprung up a lot, not just here but everywhere, are solar parks. For better or worse and certainly a fuel for NIMBYism, they are a sign of the times, so I labelled them all in. I suspect as technologies change over the next 20-50 years they will disappear so they will leave their mark only temporarily, making them an important marker for this map in 2025.

Many people that live around here will be acutely aware of the A417 and the new 'missing link' being built near Birdlip. The much needed road network improvement link to the motorway is way under construction with completion due in early 2027. With the route 'dug in', I have marked it on the new second editions.

The most striking change my work reveals though is the growth of towns and villages across The Cotswolds and surrounding areas, with the building of new homes and residential streets. I never thought it would be quite so significant.

Here are some great comparative example for you.

2019 2025