Nell Ashby

(Illustrated maps)

Maps drawn by hand, for places people love to walk

I draw estate maps, festival and trail maps, book endpapers and the odd wedding map, in ink and watercolour, from a studio in Kendal.

Commission a map
A woman in an orange beret seen from behind, holding an open map in a wide brown field.

About(01)

I walk every place before I draw it. The map should feel like the walk did: what you notice, where you stop, where the view opens.

  • (Maps)

    96

    drawn since 2016, all by hand

  • (Miles)

    2,300

    walked to draw them

  • (Books)

    14

    with my endpapers inside

  • (Weeks)

    6–10

    for a typical commission

Selected work(02)

A detailed old town map in brown and cream with a river curving through the streets.
Town trail · 2025Riverside WalkInk, watercolour
A close view of a relief map with ridges and valleys in brown and cream.
Fell race · 2024The Long RidgeInk
An old coloured map of North America with green, yellow and pink regions.
Endpaper · 2024The CrossingWatercolour
An antique map of the world in two hemispheres, with figures drawn in the corners.
Study · 2023Two WorldsPen
A pale old map of Europe with soft yellow and green countries and fine borders.

What I draw(03)

  • Estate & garden maps
  • Walking trails
  • Festival maps
  • Book endpapers
  • Wedding maps
  • Framed prints
A close view of an old sepia map with fine coastlines and hand-lettered names.

Why hand-drawn(04)

Walked, not traced

Every path on the map is one I have walked, with the gates and stiles where they really are.

Made to be read

Less detail than a survey map and more of what matters: the bench, the café, the view.

Yours to keep

You get the original drawing as well as the print files and full rights to use them.

An open notebook, a pencil, glasses, a magnifier and an old camera laid on top of an antique map.

How I work(05)

A table covered in watercolour paints, brushes, felt pens and a painted sheet of paper.
Walk

We start with a walk together, or I walk it alone with your notes. I take photographs and sketch as I go.

Sketch

A pencil layout at full size, posted to you. This is where we move things, add things and agree the words.

Ink & colour

The final drawing in ink, then watercolour washes. Two rounds of small changes are included.

Print

I scan the original at high resolution and prepare files for print, signs, web or book.

Prices(06)

Small map

£650

a garden, a village trail or a wedding map

  • A3 original in ink and watercolour
  • Print files and full rights
Ask about dates

Large map

£1,800

an estate, a long-distance trail or a festival site

  • A1 original and a walk with you
  • Print, sign and web files
  • Ten signed giclée prints
Ask about dates
A desk with art supplies and a lamp in front of a wall covered in small illustrated prints.

Kind words(07)

A person in a dark jacket studying a large paper map outdoors.

Fellside EstateKentmere Walking FestivalHarrow Books

"Visitors stop at the gate to look at Nell's map before they set off. Half of them buy the print on the way out. It has become part of the place."

Clare Whitby · Fellside Estate

Any questions?(08)

If it is not here, ask me.

A woman working at a desk in a studio full of plants and drawings.
Can you draw somewhere I have never been?

Yes, from your photographs and notes, but I would always rather walk it.

Do I own the map?

You own the original and get full rights to use it. I keep the right to show it in my portfolio.

How far do you travel?

Anywhere in the north of England without a travel charge; further for the cost of the trains.

Can the map change later?

Small changes after delivery, like a new café or a moved path, are £60 each.

Notes from the studio(09)

  • A compass lying on a printed map on the ground among leaves.

    WalkingSep 2026

    Why I still use a compass

  • Dozens of old folded maps spread across a floor.

    CollectingJul 2026

    A box of old maps from a house sale

  • Rolled maps standing upright in front of a world map.

    ProcessMay 2026

    Packing an A1 original for the post

Before you commission a map

  1. Decide what the map is for: a sign at the gate, a leaflet, a book or a frame. It changes the size and the detail.
  2. Send me a rough sketch or an existing map with the places that matter circled.
  3. Allow six to ten weeks, more in summer when I am out walking other places.
  4. Book with a third of the fee; the rest when you approve the final drawing.
Ask about dates
Several old pale blue and white coastal maps overlapping on a table. A close view of a colourful folded map with rivers and roads.