Author Topic: map symbols  (Read 4993 times)

which way

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 15
    • View Profile
map symbols
« on: August 29, 2015, 12:31:13 AM »
Hello to all.
New to walking as a hobby,  did quite a lot of tabbing when I was in the forces some 15 years ago.
Anyway,  micro navigation really appeals to me, the reason is I have a terrible sense of direction I am ashamed to say.
Read through the book and took the advice and practiced in a familiar area.
I personally believe that you should always use your map and compass whilst out walking to keep or indeed get your skill levels up to scratch. However, I do have GPS as a comfort blanket and I do think it's an amazing bit of kit but I do not want to rely on it.
So to basics, trust your map! have symbols changed? Trying to identify a feature on the land and recognise it on the map. This feature is a chimney stack of at least 40m high and it shows on the map as a building, do they not use a circle anymore to identify a chimney stack? If they have changed it I think it's a crying shame for such an important feature, can anyone advise. The grid ref of the feature under question is: SJ 9127-9083 1:25000 If I did not know the area and it was not because of its position relative to the linear feature,  the river it would of made me doubt my ep.
Knocked my  confidence in trusting the map a little.  Great red Lyle and respect W W

Hugh Westacott

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 306
    • View Profile
    • Walk with Westacott
Re: map symbols
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2015, 08:34:25 AM »
Welcome to this friendly forum, Which Way!

Are you sure that you have the correct grid reference? I’ve checked it on the latest edition of the Explorer map and it appears to be close to a small pond and a large square glass house 500 metres due west of the river Goyt.

I’ve checked the key of all the OS 1:25,000 series and can confirm that:
First series: has no symbol for chimneys.
Second series: chimneys indicated by small circle. The first map appeared in were issued in 1965 but it was not until 1990 that the whole country was covered.
Pathfinder series: has no symbol for chimneys.
Current Explorer series: has no symbol for chimneys.

It is interesting to speculate why the OS decided to omit the depiction of chimneys but it may be because so many were demolished during the latter half of the twentieth century that there was little point in continuing to depict this feature.

I'm afraid that it is an unrealistic to expect a 1:25,000 map to be absolutely accurate. Omissions and simplifications have to be made in the interest of clarity. Unfortunately, the OS does not publish the conventions it employs on its maps, and most walkers are blissfully unaware of them even though some of them are quite important. Most of them are listed and discussed in my book (see below). I don't have access to the 1:10,000 and 1:2500 maps but I'm pretty confident that your chimney would be marked on them.

Hugh
For a preview of the 5th edition of my book The Walker’s Handbook; Everything you Need to Know about Walking in the British Islesclick on http://walkwithwestacott.com. Then click on ‘Reviews of The Walker’s Handbook' in the Navigation panel to the right of the illustration of the cover.

which way

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 15
    • View Profile
Re: map symbols
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2015, 10:17:26 AM »
Thank you so much for your prompt and informative reply. I really do think they have got this one wrong for such an important feature for navigation.  Let's suppose I am some distance from the feature and would like to take a bearing to confirm my location,  looking at the map it's hard to confirm the feature on the map because it's marked as a building.
The grid ref to the feature I have since confirmed by using my GPS, it reads: SJ 91270-90830 NNE of the climbing centre.
Once again thank you for your reply WW

Hugh Westacott

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 306
    • View Profile
    • Walk with Westacott
Re: map symbols
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2015, 12:36:16 PM »
Sorry, WW, I misread your grid reference when I copied it and I've now found the location.

I agree that a chimney would be a useful feature from which to to take a bearing but I believe that the Ordnance Survey would argue that it's not necessary to depict every feature in an urban area. I suspect that the presence of a chimney would be indicated in a wild and remote spot, not by a symbol but by the legend 'Chimney' beside a dot.

Hugh

which way

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 15
    • View Profile
Re: map symbols
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2015, 12:51:50 PM »
Once again thanks for your responce. I did say I was new to walking as a hobby. Just shows how green I am, I took it that if it did not show it in a built up area it would not show it at all.
You have now answered my question fully and put my faith back in maps.
Cheers W W

Hugh Westacott

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 306
    • View Profile
    • Walk with Westacott
Re: map symbols
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2015, 05:37:33 AM »
I'm glad to know that your faith in maps has been restored, W W!

However, it should not be blind faith. A map can only be accurate at the time of the survey (which can be found on the map key). As time passes, roads are re-aligned, new buildings are erected, farmers grub hedges etc so there are occasions when a map no longer reflects the existing landscape accurately.

Some years ago I got into a hopeless mess trying to follow a route on the map. I came to a railway line, which, according to the map, the path ran parallel to. But no other feature seemed to match. Whilst I was trying to solve the puzzle, a Eurostar train flashed past and light dawned. The map I was using was based on a survey made before the new line to the Channel Tunnel had been built. I had not walked far enough to reach the railway line shown on the map.

Hugh
For a preview of the 5th edition of my book The Walker’s Handbook; Everything you Need to Know about Walking in the British Isles click on http://walkwithwestacott.com. Then click on ‘Reviews of The Walker’s Handbook in the Navigation panel to the right of the illustration of the cover.

Lost Soul

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 265
    • View Profile
Re: map symbols
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2015, 09:40:46 AM »
Hi Which Way,

Welcome to a very friendly and useful forum.  Its been a bit slow of late, but still very useful non the less.

Picking up on Hugh's comments of changed landscape vs survey dates.  Have been caught out on more than one occasion by the disappearance of many acres of forest (harvested) and on the other hand by (young) forests appearing out of no where.  Well they had been planted since the map was last surveyed.

Lost Soul   

which way

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 15
    • View Profile
Re: map symbols
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2015, 05:14:53 AM »
Tha you for the welcome Lost soul.
Yes, I think we all agree that you must always be aware of possible changes to the countryside, either by man or natural..
If we all stick to the general rules of micro navigation we should always have a good idea where we are anyway. We should check when the map was made/updated etc....
But, my original point was that the map makers could help us along the way by keeping some of the old symbols in place,  like chimney stacks to help save confusion.
Ma y thanks W W