The 700-year old map has been recreated in a limited edition of 1,000 numbered copies of 1,422x1,200mm, 90% of the size of the original.
High-resolution digital photographs were made in nine pieces and stitched together before retouching to restore and brighten the colours based on knowledge of the type of pigments used at the time the original was produced. The retouching was carried out by Alan Flint of Dot Gradations in Wickford, Essex. With several stages of proofing involving The Folio Society and and a panel of experts including the head of the map collection at the British Library Peter Barber, conservation consultant to Hereford Cathedral's Chained Library Chris Clarkson and University of London professor of medieval manuscript studies Michelle Brown.
The reproduction was also wet proofed before the five-colour litho printing of the edition by German book printer Appl onto Neenah Paper's Neobond, a semi-synthetic stock.
"We chose Neobond because it is effectively grain free and you can roll and unroll it without it developing spring and curl, unlike normal paper," said Folio Society head of production Joe Whitlock-Blundell. "We went for Appl in Germany because no one we actively work with in the UK had a big enough press, and we needed someone with a lot of good will to spend time on what was such a short run."
Dover-based The London Fancy Box Company sourced the presentation boxes, laminated the prints onto canvas and die cut the maps to the finished shape.
Publication of the reproduction by the Folio Society on the 11 May, coincides with the British Library's Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art exhibition which runs at the Library's St Pancras, London site from 30th April - 19 September. It also co-incides with BBC Four's The Beauty of Maps season of programmes.
