A souvenir map of England and Wales, showing the railway lines rapidly spreading across the country. Although the map is undated, the ownership embroidery (“I.W.C. 45”) and the progress of the lines allows a fairly accurate estimate of the date of production. The railway line from London to Exeter is completed (1844), but not the extension to Plymouth (1846); similarly, the line to Colchester is finished (1843) but not the extension to Ipswich (1846).

Welch, Margetson & Co was a successful clothing manufacturer and wholesaler from 1842 to 1963. Maps printed on silk were popular contemporary accessories, with a similar silk railway map printed by William Reed. Welch and Margetson also produced a silk map of London, an example of which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum.