I didn’t think I’d be asked this, but I was. People enjoy pubs and bars and this map looks like this for the same reason the London Underground map looks like this. Viewing all pubs and bars on a normal geographic map would be impractical due to the big and small distances between places. Having them on a diagram makes it possible to view them all easily and it still makes sense.

Making each map is quite a lengthy and difficult process and I’m not making maps all the time due to other things. I’m slowly working outwards from West Yorkshire, but some maps have been unpopular and I’ll never end up making maps for everywhere.

I’ve put the website together myself, and I haven’t found that I’ve had enough requests for other payment options to justify a more complicated set of payment options. You can also pay by cash, cheque or BACS. (Or pizza. Or beer.)

I mainly accept payments via PayPal’s secure payment options. You can also pay by cash, cheque or BACS. You can also pay by or pizza or beer. (But that’s never been attempted.)

Sure! In some cases, I’ve even found that it’s cheaper to send abroad than if I wanted to send to myself. The cost will usually be included, as normal.

Hotels, cafés and restaurants have been included on the map where there appears to be a welcoming, comfortable and easily accessible space for having a casual alcoholic drink without food or other services. If you think something needs to be added, removed or changed, let me know. Whilst generous evaluation criteria have been applied, assessment and inclusion of all establishments is discretionary and a bit subjective.

Some maps have special have markers for Nightclubs, temporary/seasonal places, clubs that welcome unaccompanied non-members, and also LGBTQ+ icons. However, I can’t add markers for all kinds of things like: CAMRA, Parking, Music, Sports TV, Pool, Darts, Food, Play Areas, Dog Friendly, WiFi etc. Those would be great things to have on an app or website but can’t work on a map like this.

Yes.

Unless they’re really new, all the maps have already had revisions. For example, the central Leeds map has had 15 editions as of July 2022. I’m happy to make changes sooner if any verifiable information is provided on places to add remove or change.

I’ll aim to update the maps at least every two years.

Most instances of common prefixes and suffixes such as “The”, “Inn”, “Bar” and “Hotel” have been omitted for clarity.

While pubs and bars are generally positioned relative to their actual locations, the directions and distances between them should not be taken literally. Localised scale distortions result from the density of establishments in an area, and routes follow paths and roads rather than direct geographic measurements.

All routes follow a recognised geographic road or path etc, but this should not be used as a basis for transport routes and they may not adhere to locally recognised pub crawls.

On a diagram map like this, only the order of the places matters. I’ll put them on the correct side of a road where possible, but they may be flipped for space or balance.

I just thought it would be funny, and no it’s in a rude shape. It’s not a real place.

With some limited exceptions, the following types of licensed premises are generally not included on this map: Bars within most leisure or cultural facilities such as cinemas, casinos, theatres, sports venues, art galleries and museums etc. Private members clubs such as Social Clubs, Working Men’s Clubs, Sports Clubs and politically affiliated clubs. Gentlemen’s clubs and XXX related establishments. Paid/ticketed entry entertainment venues. Student Union bars. Bottle Shops. Karaoke bars. Nightclubs.

Leeds has been the most popular by a long way. Rotherham seems to have been the least popular, (I’ve only sold 3 copies in 2 years) but Newcastle has been the most surprisingly disappointing.

There are other maps like these around and you might even see some people incorrectly claiming that they were the first or original to do it. I haven’t been the first and I won’t be the last. I haven’t coped any information or designs. I saw a hand drawn map like this for Wakefield city centre in a pub in 1995 and eventually decided to create my own in 2008. I didn’t finish it right away, but resumed work on it in 2013 and have been making them on and off since then. These maps have been developed over more than a decade, with countless hours of research, updates, and refinement. The concept of mapping pubs isn’t exclusive to one person or company, nor was it invented by any single source. In fact, at least one other person was creating similar maps well before some of the more widely known versions appeared. While some of my map cover the same areas as other maps and uses a similar diagrammatic style, that doesn’t mean it’s a copy. The tube map format isn’t just a stylistic choice, it’s a practical necessity. Just as with the tube map, the design allows for distortion and simplification, making both dense and sparse areas easier to display. The geographic map that informs the geometric layout is an integral part of the process, and it is even included in the final design under the “Geographic Routes” section in the information panel. Many subjects have been covered by multiple books, documentaries, and maps. It doesn’t mean they’re copies of each other. Just because an area has been mapped before doesn’t mean others cannot create their own versions. These maps are the result of independent research, effort, and interpretation, much like how historians, photographers, and travel writers bring their own perspectives to the same topics.

I used to have other stuff on Albany Design and it wasn’t popular or worthwhile so in 2021 I created the more suitably named “Orderaround” site and sent traffic here instead.