Places of Wales Help
Places of Wales allows you to search, browse and discover collections and related information from the National Library of Wales on a map.
The website currently features information from the tithe maps of Wales and related apportionment documents.
Searching
How can I search the tithe map collection?
You can search the site by using the keyword search box on the homepage
Tips:
- you can search for field names, farm names, parishes, landowner or occupier. It is NOT possible to search for a place (village, town, city) here (see browse below)
- You will be searching the accompanying apportionment documents not the maps themselves
- If you're looking for something specific and know a little information already, use boolean commands to narrow your search (see boolean commands below for more information)
- If you know for example the landowner and farm name, don't just add each name one after the other, use the boolean commands to combine your terms eg John AND Jones AND Betws. This will ensure you see relevant search results. Listing search terms will bring results where only one of those terms is present as well as results including multiple terms.
Can I search for Place names?
You can't search for place names in the homepage search box as you're searching the apportionment data. You can use the Find a Place function however to see relevant results for that area (more details under browse).
What are boolean commands?
Boolean commands are terms you enter to combine search terms to broaden or limit your results.
The terms supported in this catalogue include AND, OR, NOT and NEAR:
- AND combines two or more keywords, limiting your search, for example: Cae AND Coch will produce results containing both these search terms, e.g. Cae Coch
- OR will produce results with either search term in the title, broadening your search, for example: Cae OR Coch will produce results including Pwll Coch and Cae Glas
- NOT will exclude a term from your search, making your search more specific, for example: Cae NOT Llanbadarn will produce a list of records containing Cae but not containing Llanbadarn
- NEAR will produce results where your search terms are within five words of each other, for example: Cae NEAR Afon will produce a list of results including Y Cae ar lan yr Afon
Can I search the maps themselves?
No, when searching you will be searching the apportionment data, not the data on the maps themselves.
Am I searching the whole of Wales?
It is important to remember that there are no tithe maps and apportionments for some areas in Wales. Therefore your searches will be confined to those areas in Wales which have tithe maps and apportionments.
Tips:
You can see which areas of Wales don't have a tithe map/apportionment by selecting the 'Tithe layer Sample' in the search results map. The gaps in this map denote parishes which don't have tithe maps.
Browse
Can I browse through the tithe maps?
You can use the Find a Place function on the homepage to browse tithe maps and apportionment data relevant to that specific area.
How do I use 'Find a Place'?
'Find a Place' offers you a predefined list of modern place names. You can either start typing a place name and then select the full name from the list that will appear, or you can browse through the list and click on a place name.
Tips:
- Please note that there is no 'search' button for 'Find a Place', by clicking on a place name you will be taken to the results map
- By using the Find a Place function, you will only be able to see relevant results on a map interface. It isn't possible to see them as a text list
- It isn't possible to browse for historic place names
How do I use the map of Wales on the homepage?
The homepage map of Wales outlines the modern counties of Wales.
The dots represent the administrative towns for each county.
By clicking on a county you will be taken to a results map for that county, centered on the relevant administrative town as noted on the map.
Tips:
- You can drag the results map as needed, but it will always take you to the administrative town for each county first
- This is meant as a quick way to browse the results for the modern counties of Wales. To conduct specific searches please use the Search function
Search Results
What information is displayed for each result?
Each result will show the relevant information fields available for that result. These fields include:
- Occupier
- Landowner
- Field name
- Field No
- Farm name
- Land use
- Area
- Tithe Value
It is possible that not all these information fields will be displayed - depending on whether that information is included in the apportionment.
How do you view the original apportionment or tithe map?
To view the apportionment click on the 'View Apportionment' link at the bottom of the search result. To view the original tithe map click on the 'View Map' link at the bottom of the search result.
How can I change the number of results displayed?
In the top right corner under the green strip, you'll see the 'Display Options' drop down which allows you to change the number of results displayed.
How can I change the order in which results are displayed?
In the top right corner under the green strip, you'll see the 'Display options' drop down which allows you to change the way your results are sorted.
How are my search results weighted?
Priority is given to results within the Landowner and Occupier fields. This means that if you search for 'David', results which include 'David' in the landowner of occupier fields will appear in the results list before results which include 'David' in the field name.
How can I refine my search results?
The left column contains a list of facets, with which you can narrow the search results displayed.
The facets include:
- County
- Parish
- Land Use
- Occupier
- Landowner
Click on the relevant items within the facets to narrow your search results, they will update automatically.
You can change the facets selected as needed by clicking on them again to remove them.
You can clear all your selected facets in one go by clicking on the 'Clear Selections' button at the top of the facets list.
Tips:
The more of the facets you can use to refine you search, the more relevant your search results will be, and therefore the easier it will be for you to find relevant apportionments/maps.
Can I change how my search results are viewed?
The default way to view your search results (after using the Search function) is as a text list and map. The same results appear on both.
You can change this by clicking on the icons above the map on the right hand side:
- Icon of a pointer: Results displayed on a map only
- Icon of a list: Results displayed as a text list only
- Icon of a list and a pointer: Results displayed on a map and as a text list
Tips:
If you have used the 'Find a Place' function you will see your results displayed on a map only. It isn't possible to view them as a text list.
What happens if I click on one of the underlined words in the search results?
If you click on one of the underlined words in you search results, your results will update to show relevant results for that word eg clicking on 'Llangynwyd' in the Map name field would display all relevant results for the map of Llangynwyd.
Tips:
This essentially conducts a new search for the word that you have click on. It has not relation to the search you originally undertook.
Why are some words highlighted in the search results?
This is your search term. If you searched for 'Jones' this will be highlighted in every field in which it appears for each result. This makes it easier for you to see where your search terms appeared eg Landowner or Occupier
Can I search within my search results?
Yes. There is a search box above the facets in the left hand column with the words 'Search within these results'.
Tips:
This search will be based on the results you already have, as a way of refining your search results. If you want to start a new search you should click on the 'Places of Wales' title or click on the icon of a house to the left of it. This will take you back to the homepage where you can use the Search function.
Can I save my searches?
Your last 5 searches are automatically saved. These can be viewed by clicking on the 'History' tab on the right hand side of the green strip.
Tips:
You can clear your searches if needed by clicking on the 'Clear History' link at the bottom of the list.
What are the blue markers to the left of each result, and why do they include numbers?
The text results are numbered, and these numbers are displayed in the blue markers to the left of each result.
These numbers correspond to the numbers in the results seen on the map to the right i.e. result no 1 in the text list is the same result as result marker no 1 on the map.
Tips:
If you can't see the corresponding marker for the text result on the map, you can click on the marker in the text list ('Find on map'), and the map will reload and zoom in to where that result appears in Wales.
Why are only 4 results displayed as text results at a time? How do I see more?
On the left hand side of the map you will see a scroll bar that allows you to scroll down the text results. The default setting is to display 100 results at a time.
Tips:
These 100 text results will also be displayed on the map, but may well be clustered into circles of more that one results for ease of use.
You can click on these circles to see the individual markers.
Search results on a map
Viewing results after Searching
What do the icons on the map do?
Top left corner
- Square: this opens the map as a full screen (press Esc on your keyboard to return to the normal view)
- magnifying glass: this searches for place names
- Plus: this zooms in to the map
- Minus: this zooms out of the map
- House: This returns you to the original map view (i.e. if you've zoomed in or moved around the map, it will take you to the original view of the map
- Image of a square with rulers: this allows you to click on two places on the map, and it will give you the distance between the two. You can remove your lines once you've finished
Top right corner
- Satellite: selecting this will display the satellite view rather than the modern map
- Modern: this will display the modern map
- Tithe Overlay Sample: this will display the tithe map layer over the modern map (a slider will appear allowing you to change the transparency of the tithe layer over the modern map)
- Hide/display markers: ticking this box will display all the search results markers, and un-ticking the box will hide all the search results markers
What are the circles with numbers within?
Sometimes there are too many results to display at one time, so we cluster them into groups.
The coloured circles denote these clusters. They work on a traffic lights system, where by red circles denote a larger cluster of results, the orange circle a medium size cluster and a green circle is a smaller cluster.
Tips:
The number within a circle denotes how many results have been clustered.
What are the blue markers and why do they include numbers?
The blue markers are individual results.
The numbers displayed correspond to the numbered markers within the text results (i.e. they are the same result).
Can I see the same search results details for each point displayed on the map as I can for the text search results?
Yes. If you click on the blue markers on the map the result details will be displayed. These are the same details as you would see for that result in the text results.
How do I see the original apportionment/tithe map from results displayed on the map?
You can see the apportionment/map by clicking on the blue marker, and then clicking on the link at the bottom of the details box.
Can I move the map to see another area?
Yes. You can drag the map and it will display the new area. If there are relevant search results for this newly displayed area, these will be shown.
Viewing results after using 'Find a Place'
Can I see the results as a text list?
No. You can only view results from 'Find a Place' on the map.
What do the icons on the map do?
Top left corner
- Square: this opens the map as a full screen (press Esc on your keyboard to return to the normal view)
- magnifying glass: this searches for place names
- Plus: this zooms in to the map
- Minus: this zooms out of the map
- House: This returns you to the original map view (i.e. if you've zoomed in or moved around the map, it will take you to the original view of the map
- Image of a square with rulers: this allows you to click on two places on the map, and it will give you the distance between the two. You can remove your lines once you've finished
Top right corner
- Small square map: the orange rectangle in the middle of the small maps shows what area you are viewing in it's wider context
- Satellite: selecting this will display the satellite view rather than the modern map
- Modern: this will display the modern map
- Tithe Overlay Sample: this will display the tithe map layer over the modern map (a slider will appear allowing you to change the transparency of the tithe layer over the modern map)
- Hide/display markers: ticking this box will display all the search results markers, and un-ticking the box will hide all the search results markers
What are the circles with numbers within?
Sometimes there are too many results to display at one time, so we cluster them into groups.
The coloured circles denote these clusters. They work on a traffic lights system, where by red circles denote a larger cluster of results, the orange circle a medium size cluster and a green circle is a smaller cluster.
Tips:
The number within a circle denotes how many results have been clustered.
What are the blue markers and why do they include numbers?
The blue markers are individual results.
The numbers displayed correspond to the numbered markers within the text results (i.e. they are the same result).
How do I see the original apportionment/tithe map from results displayed on the map?
You can see the apportionment/map by clicking on the blue marker, and then clicking on the link at the bottom of the details box.
Can I move the map to see another area?
Yes. You can drag the map and it will display results for the newly displayed area.
Viewing the tithe maps and apportionments
How can I view the map/apportionment as full screen?
Click on the link in the bottom right hand corner which says 'Full Screen' with an icon of an arrow in a box.
How can I zoom in/out of the journal?
Hover over the image and you will see small icons appear in the top left corner of the black area around the image. Click on the '+' to zoom in, and the '-' to zoom out.
How can I rotate the journal/apportionment?
Hover over the image and you will see small icons appear in the top left corner of the black area around the image. Click on the circular arrow to rotate the image (it will turn a quarter turn clockwise for every click).
How can I move to the next/previous pages of the apportionment?
Hover over the image of the apportionment and you will see small arrows appear to the left and right of the journal page. Click the arrow on the right to move forward through the apportionment, and click on the left arrow to move backwards through the apportionment.
Can I see a preview of all the pages within the apportionment without opening each one individually?
Yes. Click on the left 'CONTENTS' column, and you will see a list of images of all the pages within the apportionment.
How can I view related information as I view the apportionment/map?
On the right hand side of the page you will see a panel 'MORE INFORMATION'. This displays background information pertaining to that specific journal.
Tips:
You can close the panel if you wish by clicking on the two arrows in the top left corner of the panel. If you wish to view it again, click on the two arrows at the top of the closed panel.
Where do I find attribution information about the apportionment/map?
Attribution information can be found in the 'MORE INFORMATION' panel on the right hand side or in the small box in the bottom left corner of the journal.
Tips:
If the attribution box affects your ability to read the apportionment/map, you can close it by clicking on the small 'x' in the top right corner of the box.
Is there a permanent link for the apportionment I'm viewing?
Yes. You'll find the permanent url in the 'MORE INFORMATION' panel on the right hand side under the heading 'PERMALINK'
What does the search box below the image of the apportionment/map search?
While viewing the apportionment/map, you will see your search term in the middle below the journal page. If you click on the 'Clear' link you will be given an empty search box. You can use this to search within the apportionment/map you're viewing.
Tips:
You will only be searching the apportionment/map you're viewing.
What are the blue markers below the apportionment/map?
The blue markers denote other hits for your search terms within the apportionment/map. If you click on the blue markers it will display that page in the apportionment with your search term highlighted.
Why are some words highlighted within the apportionment?
Your search terms are highlighted green within the apportionment/map to make it easier for you to find the applicable section.