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Loving the inclusion of a image from an Ordinance Survey (OS) map. For those who haven’t heard of them, maybe the younger members on here or anyone from outside

Loving the inclusion of a image from an Ordinance Survey (OS) map. For those who haven’t heard of them, maybe the younger members on here or anyone from outside the U.K., OS maps were the U.K. standard before GPS and Google Maps et al. We were even taught how to read them as kids at school and youth centres (eg scouts). In the days before ubiquitous GPS, it was considered an important life skill to read maps, understand grid references and all the various different markings on an OS map. To this day I still find OS maps to be the best around for clarity and information density. Though I won’t deny I also have a little nostalgia for their stylings too. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey

JNRowe 5y ago
Rose-tinted nostalgia surely? OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. You must remember trying to pin sections down so you could see across the paper splits caused by the pure evilness that is folding. It is possible my rage might also be caused by growing up on the point of a four-way boundary in Explorer and Landranger format. More seriously though, do they no longer teach at least basic navigation skills in school? It still feels, to me, like it is an essential life skill. If only for being able to assess the validity of your phone's answers in the most general case.
- etothepii 5y ago
  Are you from Stalybridge?
- onionisafruit 5y ago
  The first day of class in Texas History in my school was devoted to learning how to fold a map (hello fellow Mr Buttrey students). It was a good time investment.
- ghaff 5y ago
  OS has a really nice app I’ve used for long distance walking trips. I still carry hard copy maps because I’m like that but I mostly don’t use them except to get a broader view.
- throwaway8689 5y ago
  OS have a variety of products including maps supplied rolled in a tube to avoid folding. I think the 1:10000 scale has the names of individual fields on farms.
- pm215 5y ago
  If you want to walk, as opposed to just get somewhere in a car, I have yet to find anything better than an OS map. Google Maps is hopeless for footpaths; OpenStreetMaps is a bit better but it depends a lot on whether somebody enthusiastic has put in the data for the area you're in. The OS map is always reliably comprehensive. Plus these days if you buy a paper map it includes a code so you can also download the digital version to a mobile app (or you can get an annual subscription to get access to the whole lot, but for me I find that uneconomical.)
  - stefanu 5y ago
    In Czechia and Slovakia we have mapy.cz which gives you more detailed map for walking/hiking, including contour lines. See [^1] for example. The coloured trails you can see at more detailed zoom levels, are part of the hiking trail system. The outdoor signage even has a national technical norm [^2] (in Slovak, but has some terminology translated int to English and German). [1] https://en.mapy.cz/turisticka?x=19.8702765&y=48.7675046&z=14 https://en.mapy.cz/turisticka?x=19.8702765&y=48.7675046&z=14 [2] http://www.jazdecka-turistika.sk/images/stories/dokumenty/KTS_norma_STN_01_8025.pdf http://www.jazdecka-turistika.sk/images/stories/dokumenty/KT...
    - miniscapes 5y ago
      I must concur, I have used mapy.cz for hiking across the Europe with great success. Even on Iceland.
    - topdancing 5y ago
      This is just OpenStreetMap with another frontend on top, you can see this by going to the area[1] and going to the right, selecting layers and looking at the CyclOSM one. Also, a bit lame that on mapy.cz, you have to click on the "and others" to actually see the OpenStreetMap credit. [1]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/48.75343/19.87948 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/48.75343/19.87948
      - inglor_cz 5y ago
        Mapy.cz has a lot of other layers, try them out. Including historical and photo maps. This is the full list of holders of copyrights: Základní, Turistická, Zimní a další níže neuvedené mapy: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© AOPK ČR – ochrana přírody a krajiny” „© Slovenská agentúra živ. prostredia” – digitální model terénu SR „© Národné lesnické centrum SR” – lesní a polní cesty SR „© Přispěvatelé OpenStreetMap” Letecká mapa (ortofotomapa): „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© TopGis, s.r.o.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© EUROSENSE s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© GEODIS Slovakia s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© www.basemap.at” (zoom 9-19 jen Rakousko) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-8) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen Evropa mimo ČR, SR) „© Microsoft Corporation” (zoom 14-19 jen mimo ČR a SR) Archivní Letecká mapa '15, '12, '06 a '03: „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© EUROSENSE s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© GEODIS Slovakia s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-7) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen mimo ČR a SR) Historická mapa (z 19. století): „© 2nd Military Survey, Austrian State Archive” „© Datový podklad MŽP ČR” „© Laboratoř geoinformatiky UJEP” Panorama: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© GIS - Stavinvex, a.s.” „© TopGis, s.r.o.” „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” 3D mapa: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© Melown Maps™” „© TopGis, s.r.o.“ „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” „© www.basemap.at” (zoom 9-19 jen Rakousko) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-8) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen Evropa mimo ČR, SR) „© Microsoft Corporation“ (zoom 14-19 jen mimo ČR a SR)” “©2005-16 Jonathan de Ferranti” “© Přispěvatelé OpenStreetMap”
- jack_riminton 5y ago
  The new laminated maps they sell are a great help in this regard. And whilst they obviously add some bulk, the added waterproofness is a great boon Beats my days in the army when we had to laminate each map by hand. They were a nightmare to fold after that
  - aembleton 5y ago
    I don't understand why they don't just print them on plastic like Harveys do. It is so much more useable and durable.
- laumars 5y ago
  > OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. I don’t miss folding paper maps but my comment was about the mapping data not the physical medium. Thankfully you can now have OS maps electronically. Best of both worlds. Though at least paper maps have their unique quality that they still retain their data even after your batteries go flat ;) I joke but actually that can be be invaluable if you’re camping and hiking over multi-days. Also useful if you end up anywhere with low mobile phone coverage. > More seriously though, do they no longer teach at least basic navigation skills in school? It still feels, to me, like it is an essential life skill. If only for being able to assess the validity of your phone's answers in the most general case. Good question. I assumed they wouldn’t because the curriculum is pretty jam packed. But after after asking your question to teacher friend, it seems they still do teach map reading.
  - JNRowe 5y ago
    In all honesty, I'd mostly prefer a paper OS map to all alternatives all other things being equal(weather/space/etc). My comment was largely from a place of love, it is the only reason I've used enough to be annoyed about the splitting or needing to carry an armful for an afternoon cycle ride. This thread did teach me that there are a few more usable print options for sale on the OS website too, which is great. > it seems they still do teach map reading. That pleases me. I'm strongly of the opinion we should be teaching to the available tools(phone maps/calculators/etc), but with enough preliminary knowledge to understand implications and judge validity.
- ourlordcaffeine 5y ago
  They don't (in the UK). And every year people die after they decide to go trekking with only a phone and gmaps, and it runs out of power and they get lost.
- gumby 5y ago
  OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. As a long distance through hiker I find paper maps invaluable. They are lighter than a gps and don’t require batteries. They provide a greater perspective than you can experience through a screen — very important when plotting a route (trail info tends to be quite out or date here in the US). I always carry paper maps.
  - JNRowe 5y ago
    To reach for a lowbrow Twister quote "Look, all I'm saying is don't fold the maps." Are the paper maps you use available flat or tubed? I've learnt from this thread that Ordnance Survey produce a surprising number of formats beyond the common pre-folded maps, even including custom runs¹ that also fix my trapped-on-a-map-boundary complaint. Peering through the window of my local outdoor supplies shop this afternoon showed only a rack of the folded ones sadly. ¹ https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/custom-made/ https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/custom-made/
    - gumby 5y ago
      I do fold because I typically only have so much room in my pack. I am pathetically type a and have multiple maps which I try to fold differently so that I can try to take a good one for a given trip (doesn’t really work on long through hikes. The USGS has stopped printing maps so the choice these days is commercial ones or downloading and printing at home (which eliminates both the size advantage and the high resolution of offset printing).
mig39 5y ago
The Canadian version: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/topographic-information/maps/national-topographic-system-maps/9767 https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/topographic...
gregcrv 5y ago
The French version: https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte?c=6.89051647838162,45.91834636600035&z=15&l0=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.SCAN-EXPRESS.STANDARD:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte?c=6.89051647838162,45.9... you have the entire country at down to 1:3000, but the best ones are around 1:25000.
fsckboy 5y ago
the American version https://store.usgs.gov/map-locator https://store.usgs.gov/map-locator
dqwdwqdqwdqwc 5y ago
The roof of my father-in-law's garden shed happens to be made from the copper plates that were used to print those maps! He used to work for OS, and they threw all the plates out with the transition to digital printing. You can sit in the shed, look up and see mirrored engraved maps all over the ceiling. As far as I know he was legitimately given the plates as scrap, but I'm using a sock puppet to avoid any possibility of OS deciding that the plates are theirs after all and going after him.
- foobarbecue 5y ago
  That's amazing. I would love to see a photo.
- pestatije 5y ago
  That's museum material. Please keep it!
dmitriid 5y ago
I give you Soviet-era spy/military maps of foreign locations (sometimes mire detailed than OS maps): https://www.wired.com/2015/07/secret-cold-war-maps/ https://www.wired.com/2015/07/secret-cold-war-maps/
jsmith99 5y ago
The OS data is still incredibly detailed. Practically every large boulder seems to be included, let alone every building. They licence some of it to Apple Maps.
gandalfian 5y ago
Bing maps UK have an Ordnance Survey layer which can be handy. Most County Council's have an interactive footpath map which uses a bigger scale OS map, very handy for finding a house name.
laurencerowe 5y ago
> To this day I still find OS maps to be the best around for clarity and information density. It no doubt depends on the application, but for hiking I've found the Harvey BMC maps to be much more usable than the OS maps. The 1:40000 scale is a happy median between the Landranger and Explorer series and printed on plastic rather than laminated they're much easier to handle. https://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/british-mountain-maps.html https://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/british-mountain-maps....
simonjgreen 5y ago
The OS remains the absolute best, most detailed, most up to date, source of mapping and geospatial data for the UK. It's a fundamental part of my day to day workflow working in telecoms and without it my job would be staggeringly more difficult. All UK ISPs (actually putting fibre out there) rely heavily on this data. OS MasterMap is a phenomenal product giving access to crazy levels of information depth via remarkably accessible APIs. And as of relatively recently some of that API access is also free, and even the paid categories have a free tier. If you find yourself in a position needed map data for the UK I would behove you to try OS out rather than defaulting to the regular big-tech names.
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  I've never used the OS maps as I rarely visit the UK. I've worked with similar maps in the Netherlands though through a GIS system (also worked in telecom). But when hiking (mainly in Spain) I always prefer OpenStreetMap to the official maps. The problem with the official government maps is that they are official. If a hiking trail is nothing more than a trodden path through the brush, they won't show it as it's not an official path. If they'd put it on there they'd admit it would be a path and be on the hook for upkeep etc. Google Maps is also really bad for this usecase as I believe they get most of their data from the governments. So when it comes to really obscure paths which are pretty essential to hiking, the government maps are not as good. OSM shows how it is in reality, the government maps show how they want things to be :) But like I said, perhaps the UK is different in that sense.
  - laumars 5y ago
    OS maps is really good for hiking :) That’s what I mostly use it for (well running more than hiking, but that’s effectively the same use case)
  - soneil 5y ago
    Particularly in England & Wales, most hiking trails are well-mapped. Because we have no legal right to hike on private land (which is why I call out England & Wales separately from Scotland, Scottish law differs), most hiking trails are either specifically created by public bodies (national trust, etc) or are historical rights of way.
gameshot911 5y ago
Here's[1] a YouTube video I just watched yesterday which shows how they used to do Ordnance Surveys back in the 1960s. The ingenuity is truly amazing! [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7SJVBX7jxo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7SJVBX7jxo
billyruffian 5y ago
I built a small wildlife pond in the corner of a field. A couple of months pass and it magically pops up on the OS maps, right shape and dimensions too. Meanwhile google maps is merrily directing vehicluar traffic down a precipitous footpath to get stuck in the ford at the bottom despite endless attempts at getting them to correct it.

JNRowe 5y ago

Rose-tinted nostalgia surely? OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. You must remember trying to pin sections down so you could see across the paper splits caused by the pure evilness that is folding. It is possible my rage might also be caused by growing up on the point of a four-way boundary in Explorer and Landranger format. More seriously though, do they no longer teach at least basic navigation skills in school? It still feels, to me, like it is an essential life skill. If only for being able to assess the validity of your phone's answers in the most general case.

etothepii 5y ago
Are you from Stalybridge?
onionisafruit 5y ago
The first day of class in Texas History in my school was devoted to learning how to fold a map (hello fellow Mr Buttrey students). It was a good time investment.
ghaff 5y ago
OS has a really nice app I’ve used for long distance walking trips. I still carry hard copy maps because I’m like that but I mostly don’t use them except to get a broader view.
throwaway8689 5y ago
OS have a variety of products including maps supplied rolled in a tube to avoid folding. I think the 1:10000 scale has the names of individual fields on farms.
pm215 5y ago
If you want to walk, as opposed to just get somewhere in a car, I have yet to find anything better than an OS map. Google Maps is hopeless for footpaths; OpenStreetMaps is a bit better but it depends a lot on whether somebody enthusiastic has put in the data for the area you're in. The OS map is always reliably comprehensive. Plus these days if you buy a paper map it includes a code so you can also download the digital version to a mobile app (or you can get an annual subscription to get access to the whole lot, but for me I find that uneconomical.)
- stefanu 5y ago
  In Czechia and Slovakia we have mapy.cz which gives you more detailed map for walking/hiking, including contour lines. See [^1] for example. The coloured trails you can see at more detailed zoom levels, are part of the hiking trail system. The outdoor signage even has a national technical norm [^2] (in Slovak, but has some terminology translated int to English and German). [1] https://en.mapy.cz/turisticka?x=19.8702765&y=48.7675046&z=14 https://en.mapy.cz/turisticka?x=19.8702765&y=48.7675046&z=14 [2] http://www.jazdecka-turistika.sk/images/stories/dokumenty/KTS_norma_STN_01_8025.pdf http://www.jazdecka-turistika.sk/images/stories/dokumenty/KT...
  - miniscapes 5y ago
    I must concur, I have used mapy.cz for hiking across the Europe with great success. Even on Iceland.
  - topdancing 5y ago
    This is just OpenStreetMap with another frontend on top, you can see this by going to the area[1] and going to the right, selecting layers and looking at the CyclOSM one. Also, a bit lame that on mapy.cz, you have to click on the "and others" to actually see the OpenStreetMap credit. [1]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/48.75343/19.87948 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/48.75343/19.87948
    - inglor_cz 5y ago
      Mapy.cz has a lot of other layers, try them out. Including historical and photo maps. This is the full list of holders of copyrights: Základní, Turistická, Zimní a další níže neuvedené mapy: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© AOPK ČR – ochrana přírody a krajiny” „© Slovenská agentúra živ. prostredia” – digitální model terénu SR „© Národné lesnické centrum SR” – lesní a polní cesty SR „© Přispěvatelé OpenStreetMap” Letecká mapa (ortofotomapa): „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© TopGis, s.r.o.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© EUROSENSE s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© GEODIS Slovakia s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© www.basemap.at” (zoom 9-19 jen Rakousko) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-8) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen Evropa mimo ČR, SR) „© Microsoft Corporation” (zoom 14-19 jen mimo ČR a SR) Archivní Letecká mapa '15, '12, '06 a '03: „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” (zoom 9-20 jen v ČR) „© EUROSENSE s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© GEODIS Slovakia s.r.o.” (zoom 9-19 jen SR) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-7) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen mimo ČR a SR) Historická mapa (z 19. století): „© 2nd Military Survey, Austrian State Archive” „© Datový podklad MŽP ČR” „© Laboratoř geoinformatiky UJEP” Panorama: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© GIS - Stavinvex, a.s.” „© TopGis, s.r.o.” „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” 3D mapa: „© Seznam.cz, a.s.” „© Melown Maps™” „© TopGis, s.r.o.“ „© GEODIS BRNO, s.r.o.” „© www.basemap.at” (zoom 9-19 jen Rakousko) „© NASA Earth Observatory” (zoom 2-8) „© Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017” (zoom 8-13 jen Evropa mimo ČR, SR) „© Microsoft Corporation“ (zoom 14-19 jen mimo ČR a SR)” “©2005-16 Jonathan de Ferranti” “© Přispěvatelé OpenStreetMap”
jack_riminton 5y ago
The new laminated maps they sell are a great help in this regard. And whilst they obviously add some bulk, the added waterproofness is a great boon Beats my days in the army when we had to laminate each map by hand. They were a nightmare to fold after that
- aembleton 5y ago
  I don't understand why they don't just print them on plastic like Harveys do. It is so much more useable and durable.
laumars 5y ago
> OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. I don’t miss folding paper maps but my comment was about the mapping data not the physical medium. Thankfully you can now have OS maps electronically. Best of both worlds. Though at least paper maps have their unique quality that they still retain their data even after your batteries go flat ;) I joke but actually that can be be invaluable if you’re camping and hiking over multi-days. Also useful if you end up anywhere with low mobile phone coverage. > More seriously though, do they no longer teach at least basic navigation skills in school? It still feels, to me, like it is an essential life skill. If only for being able to assess the validity of your phone's answers in the most general case. Good question. I assumed they wouldn’t because the curriculum is pretty jam packed. But after after asking your question to teacher friend, it seems they still do teach map reading.
- JNRowe 5y ago
  In all honesty, I'd mostly prefer a paper OS map to all alternatives all other things being equal(weather/space/etc). My comment was largely from a place of love, it is the only reason I've used enough to be annoyed about the splitting or needing to carry an armful for an afternoon cycle ride. This thread did teach me that there are a few more usable print options for sale on the OS website too, which is great. > it seems they still do teach map reading. That pleases me. I'm strongly of the opinion we should be teaching to the available tools(phone maps/calculators/etc), but with enough preliminary knowledge to understand implications and judge validity.
ourlordcaffeine 5y ago
They don't (in the UK). And every year people die after they decide to go trekking with only a phone and gmaps, and it runs out of power and they get lost.
gumby 5y ago
OS map styling is beautiful, but folding maps is the work of devils. As a long distance through hiker I find paper maps invaluable. They are lighter than a gps and don’t require batteries. They provide a greater perspective than you can experience through a screen — very important when plotting a route (trail info tends to be quite out or date here in the US). I always carry paper maps.
- JNRowe 5y ago
  To reach for a lowbrow Twister quote "Look, all I'm saying is don't fold the maps." Are the paper maps you use available flat or tubed? I've learnt from this thread that Ordnance Survey produce a surprising number of formats beyond the common pre-folded maps, even including custom runs¹ that also fix my trapped-on-a-map-boundary complaint. Peering through the window of my local outdoor supplies shop this afternoon showed only a rack of the folded ones sadly. ¹ https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/custom-made/ https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/custom-made/
  - gumby 5y ago
    I do fold because I typically only have so much room in my pack. I am pathetically type a and have multiple maps which I try to fold differently so that I can try to take a good one for a given trip (doesn’t really work on long through hikes. The USGS has stopped printing maps so the choice these days is commercial ones or downloading and printing at home (which eliminates both the size advantage and the high resolution of offset printing).

mig39 5y ago

The Canadian version: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/topographic-information/maps/national-topographic-system-maps/9767 https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/topographic...

gregcrv 5y ago

The French version: https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte?c=6.89051647838162,45.91834636600035&z=15&l0=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.SCAN-EXPRESS.STANDARD:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte?c=6.89051647838162,45.9... you have the entire country at down to 1:3000, but the best ones are around 1:25000.

fsckboy 5y ago

the American version https://store.usgs.gov/map-locator https://store.usgs.gov/map-locator

dqwdwqdqwdqwc 5y ago

The roof of my father-in-law's garden shed happens to be made from the copper plates that were used to print those maps! He used to work for OS, and they threw all the plates out with the transition to digital printing. You can sit in the shed, look up and see mirrored engraved maps all over the ceiling. As far as I know he was legitimately given the plates as scrap, but I'm using a sock puppet to avoid any possibility of OS deciding that the plates are theirs after all and going after him.

foobarbecue 5y ago
That's amazing. I would love to see a photo.
pestatije 5y ago
That's museum material. Please keep it!

dmitriid 5y ago

I give you Soviet-era spy/military maps of foreign locations (sometimes mire detailed than OS maps): https://www.wired.com/2015/07/secret-cold-war-maps/ https://www.wired.com/2015/07/secret-cold-war-maps/

jsmith99 5y ago

The OS data is still incredibly detailed. Practically every large boulder seems to be included, let alone every building. They licence some of it to Apple Maps.

gandalfian 5y ago

Bing maps UK have an Ordnance Survey layer which can be handy. Most County Council's have an interactive footpath map which uses a bigger scale OS map, very handy for finding a house name.

laurencerowe 5y ago

> To this day I still find OS maps to be the best around for clarity and information density. It no doubt depends on the application, but for hiking I've found the Harvey BMC maps to be much more usable than the OS maps. The 1:40000 scale is a happy median between the Landranger and Explorer series and printed on plastic rather than laminated they're much easier to handle. https://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/british-mountain-maps.html https://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/british-mountain-maps....

simonjgreen 5y ago

The OS remains the absolute best, most detailed, most up to date, source of mapping and geospatial data for the UK. It's a fundamental part of my day to day workflow working in telecoms and without it my job would be staggeringly more difficult. All UK ISPs (actually putting fibre out there) rely heavily on this data. OS MasterMap is a phenomenal product giving access to crazy levels of information depth via remarkably accessible APIs. And as of relatively recently some of that API access is also free, and even the paid categories have a free tier. If you find yourself in a position needed map data for the UK I would behove you to try OS out rather than defaulting to the regular big-tech names.

GekkePrutser 5y ago
I've never used the OS maps as I rarely visit the UK. I've worked with similar maps in the Netherlands though through a GIS system (also worked in telecom). But when hiking (mainly in Spain) I always prefer OpenStreetMap to the official maps. The problem with the official government maps is that they are official. If a hiking trail is nothing more than a trodden path through the brush, they won't show it as it's not an official path. If they'd put it on there they'd admit it would be a path and be on the hook for upkeep etc. Google Maps is also really bad for this usecase as I believe they get most of their data from the governments. So when it comes to really obscure paths which are pretty essential to hiking, the government maps are not as good. OSM shows how it is in reality, the government maps show how they want things to be :) But like I said, perhaps the UK is different in that sense.
- laumars 5y ago
  OS maps is really good for hiking :) That’s what I mostly use it for (well running more than hiking, but that’s effectively the same use case)
- soneil 5y ago
  Particularly in England & Wales, most hiking trails are well-mapped. Because we have no legal right to hike on private land (which is why I call out England & Wales separately from Scotland, Scottish law differs), most hiking trails are either specifically created by public bodies (national trust, etc) or are historical rights of way.

gameshot911 5y ago

Here's[1] a YouTube video I just watched yesterday which shows how they used to do Ordnance Surveys back in the 1960s. The ingenuity is truly amazing! [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7SJVBX7jxo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7SJVBX7jxo

billyruffian 5y ago

I built a small wildlife pond in the corner of a field. A couple of months pass and it magically pops up on the OS maps, right shape and dimensions too. Meanwhile google maps is merrily directing vehicluar traffic down a precipitous footpath to get stuck in the ford at the bottom despite endless attempts at getting them to correct it.