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
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
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
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)
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.
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)
OS MAP SYMBOLS (2)
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
