The Society has collected copies of various maps of Cerne Abbas, the earliest dating from 1768. These maps provide a fascinating insight into the development of the village since that date and can be useful in attempting, for example, to identify where an ancestor might have lived.

A list of the maps held by the Society can be seen in the Bibliography. The original maps are held in the Dorset History Centre where they are available to view

An important map for Cerne Abbas family historians is that dating from 1798. This was part of an 'Admeasurement Survey' carried out in that year, probably for rental purposes.

The survey, of which the 1798 map forms the basis, describes in some detail all the various properties and fields, including their owners. The Society has transcribed the Admeasurement Survey to relate the information in it to the Cerne Abbas of today.