We are the UK's leading specialist retailer of maps, travel books and other travel accessories, having been established in 1853 by Edward Stanford . Our flagship store in Covent Garden, London , first opened its doors in January 1901 and can justly claim to offer the world's largest stock of maps and travel books under one roof. We have been an essential first port of call for adventure and armchair travellers alike for more than a century. Our roll-call of customers past and present includes such famous names as Amy Johnson, David Livingstone, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton, Florence Nightingale, Ranulph Fiennes, Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, and even Sherlock Holmes.