Christopher Greenwood (1786-1855) was a surveyor and mapmaker from Yorkshire who settled in Wakefield around 1815 and by the following year was a surveyor. His initial intention was a survey of the region around Leeds before being encouraged to expand the map to take in the whole of the county. His first large-scale survey was of Yorkshire in two parts. The first part is dated 1 May 1817 contained 4 large sheets. The second on 14 August 1818 contained the remaining 5 sheets. In the same year he moved to London. The two parts were published by Robinson, Son, and Holdsworth or Leeds and John Hurst of Wakefield. Greenwood’s brother John was yet to join him in the enterprise. The map is drawn by R. Creighton and engraved by Samuel John Neele (1758-1824) and his son James Neele (1791-1868).

The early 1800s was a time of rapid change in the landscape with the burgeoning industrial revolution. Greenwood’s surveys utilised the latest system of triangulation adopted by Colonel Mudge and his surveyors for the Ordnance Survey. Indeed, they were in open competition with them.

Yorkshire is a large county, so it was not quite illustrated at an inch to the mile but three-quarters. It differentiates between woods and plantations, heaths and commons, different types of waterways, roads, and of course canals. Both watermills and windmills are identified indicating their significance to the local economy. He published one of Lancashire in 1818 also and from there decided to encompass all the English counties. He did not quite complete the project. The last to be published was of Hereford in 1835 having issued 34 county maps. Rodger (1972) 522; Rawnsley (1970) 34; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).