This site is dedicated to Ward Lock Travel Guides. The main objective of the site is to chart the changing face of the Guides and to show how it is possible to get an idea of the date of the volume by the style of the front cover. It is illustrated with examples from my own collection and I would welcome any comments or contributions.

I have been collecting Ward Lock travel guides for a number of years and I initially decided to collect an edition of every town or area that had been published with the proviso that I would not collect any editions published after 1950. Although I have not achieved that objective I am now collecting the earliest examples of every guide published before 1950.

I have not yet found any sort of listing which shows what guides were issued and when they were issued. I have compiled two lists from my own collection. These lists have been produced by taking details from the "guides in print" listings which are found in most guides. At present the lists covers a period from 1880 to 1911.

I would like to thank Geoff Gibbons for information that he has given me from his own collection.

The search box will allow you to search for any place, etc which is mentioned in this site