WHAT MAPS SHOW US

Maps show us a range of features, for example:

Landforms: - hills - valleys - mountains

Settlement: - isolated dwellings - farms - villages - hamlets - towns - cities - capital cities

Communication: - roads - rail - rivers/canals - airports

Land Use: - farming - forests - orchards - theme parks - industry

Geology: - rock type

Other Info: - public house! - toilets - castles - hospitals

Maps do 4 things: 1. Locational document (HELP YOU FIND STUFF) 2. Route-displaying document (HELP YOU GET FROM ‘A‛ TO ‘B‛) 3. Shows what you a place/area looks like 4. Store and display information

DIRECTIONS & COMPASS POINTS

When describing features on a map it is useful if the DIRECTION can be discussed

The best way to discuss the direction is to use the POINTS OF THE COMPASS

Most maps have a sign to show NORTH. If there is no sign shown the top edge of the map will be NORTH

One way to remember this is: Never Eat Shredded Wheat

To give a direction of a place, you have to state which direction you would need to go to get there

e.g.

A

E H

C D

‘D‛ is EAST of ‘C‛ F G

B ‘F‛ is SOUTH-EAST of ‘E‛ ‘H‛ is NORTH-EAST of ‘G‛

‘A‛ is NORTH of ‘B‛

4-FIGURE GRID REFERENCES

Grid Lines (BLUE) can be found on all Ordnance Survey Maps

By using these lines, and giving GRID REFERENCES certain areas can be determined

When using 4-Figure Grid References you can determine a GRID SQUARE

Look at the diagram below:

GRID SQUARE ‘A‛ 1. Give the number of the line on the left of the square - 02 2. Give the number of the line at the bottom of the square – 51 3. Put the numbers together – the 4-Figure Grid Reference is 0251

GRID SQUARE ‘B‛ 0250 GRID SQUARE ‘C‛ 0150 GRID SQUARE ‘D‛ 0151

6-FIGURE GRID REFERENCES

Grid Lines (BLUE) can be found on all Ordnance Survey Maps

By using these lines, and giving GRID REFERENCES certain areas can be determined

When using 6-Figure Grid References you can determine an EXACT POINT (so they are very useful)

Look at the diagram below:

HOW TO WORK OUT THE GRID REFERENCE FOR ‘�‛ 1. Give the number of the line on the left of the square - 01 2. In your head divide the square into ‘tenths‛ then follow arrow ‘A.‛

The � is about halfway across from the left – putting it on the five-tenths line 3. First half of the grid reference = 015

4. Now give the number of the line at the bottom of the square - 50 5. Again, in your head, divide the square into ‘tenths‛ then follow arrow ‘B.‛

The � is less than halfway up from the bottom – putting it on the three-tenths line 6. Second half of the grid reference = 503

6-FIGURE GRID REFERENCE FOR � = 015 503

6-FIGURE GRID REFERENCE FOR n = 017 508

A

B

CONTOUR LINES

RELIEF is the height and shape of the land

This is shown on an OS Map using CONTOUR LINES (a line on a map showing all points of the same height, measured in metres above sea level)

SPOT HEIGHTS

are a very accurate height given on an OS Map

TRIANGULATION PILLARS

a very accurate height, usually the highest in the area

STEEP slopes are shown on a map, when CONTOUR LINES are packed closely together

e.g.

GENTLE slopes are shown on a map, when CONTOUR LINES are spread apart

e.g.

Sometimes VIEWPOINTS can be seen on the summit/peak of a hill (highest point)

e.g.

SCALE

Maps show us a range of features.

Some maps show us more detail than others.

The smaller the scale, the higher the amount of detail.

If a scale is 1:10 000, a map will be very detailed.

Here is an example of a 1:25 000 map. Here is an example of a 1:50 000 map.

The two maps show that the 1:50 000 map is ‘zoomed out‛ and is therefore in less detail

When using a 1:50 000 scale, it means that 1cm on the map = 50 000 cm (or 500m) in real life

ALL scales are in cm.

On ALL OS Maps – 1 GRID SQUARE = 1KM

OS MAP SYMBOLS (1)

Ordnance Survey Maps show us information using symbols

Almost everything on an OS Map can be shown using a symbol

The symbols are split into different sections:

Small Drawings (e.g. church with tower)

Lines (e.g. roads, bridleways, paths)

Colours (e.g. a lake – blue)

Letters (e.g. PH – public house) & Shortened Words (e.g. Sch – school)

OS MAP SYMBOLS (2)

Tourist Information ALWAYS IN BLUE (e.g. museum)

MEASURING DISTANCES

Before measuring a distance on a map, it is important that you know what the scale is (e.g. 1:10 000, 1:25 000 etc)

If you know this it will tell you how far 1 cm is e.g. 1:25 000 è 1cm = 25 000cm (or 250m) and 4cm = 1km e.g. 1:50 000 è 1cm = 50 000cm (or 500m) and 2cm = 1km

MEASURING AS THE CROW FLIES

1. Use a ruler 2. Measure in a straight line across the map 3. Read the measurement in cm 4. Using the scale at the base of the map convert the cm to

the distance in real life

MEASURING DISTANCES USING STRING

1. Place the string at the start point 2. Whenever the route changes direction, place your

finger on the string and then stretch it towards the new direction

3. Repeat until the route has been traced with the string 4. Using the scale at the base of the map convert the distance

of string used to the distance in real life

MEASURING DISTANCES USING A PIECE OF PAPER

This is very similar to using a piece of string

1. Place the corner of a piece of paper at the start point 2. Every time the route changes direction, make a mark on the

paper and then turn the paper towards the new direction 3. Repeat until the route has been drawn (using marks)

on the edge of the paper, e.g.

4. Using the scale at the base of the map convert the distance from the first mark to the last, to discover the distance in real life

DESCRIBING A ROUTE

Ordnance Survey Maps can be used to describe places and routes

ACCURACY is very important when describing things - use compass directions - use features on the map (e.g. Church with Spire)

Follow the description, by looking at the map below

1. Leave Hearn (NW of Map) travelling southwards 2. Turn E, onto B3002, at first road junction 3. Go straight over first roundabout, heading SE 4. Proceed straight along B3002, with mixed forest to the N 5. After Grayshott Hall follow the road SE towards Grayshott 6. After ¾ mile turn E 7. Go through Grayshott, travelling past the church with a tower and public house 8. Proceed straight across the crossroads 9. Turn NW, onto A3, proceed to crossroads 10. Turn SE, then follow an easterly southerly direction along A287 11. Continue downhill along this road, National Trust Park land on E, river on W, for approximately ½ mile 12. Travel through Critchmere 13. Go through Shottermill passing a church with a spire 14. Pass under railway bridge 15. Turn E (2 nd road) LEISURE CENTRE WILL BE THERE