www.ramblers.org.uk

Maps for walkers

Map reading skills are useful for many walkers, and essential in remote and difficult terrain. Even if you are following a signed route or using a good guidebook, knowing how to find your way around with a map will give you more options for diversions and escape routes, and help if you get lost or encounter damaged or missing signs. A map will also help you plan your own routes. 

This page introduces maps of particular use to walkers, including digital mapping. See also Navigation for more details of how to use a map.

Ordnance Survey maps

The best and most comprehensive walkers’ maps of Britain are the 1:25 000 scale Explorer series in orange covers published by the national mapping agency,  Ordnance Survey (OS). They include a range of geographical features and landmarks at a high level of detail, including field boundaries, heights shown as contours and “spot heights”, railway stations and tram stops. They also show rights of way (except in Scotland), permissive paths, other footpaths and tracks, many long distance paths, off-road cycle paths, open access land (except in Scotland), locations of shorter circular walks and nature trails, information centres, viewpoints, picnic sites, visitor attractions and many other useful features. Explorers have now entirely replaced two previous 1:25 000 series, Pathfinder and Outdoor Leisure maps.

This extract from an OS Explorer map shows Edale and surroundings, including field boundaries, public rights of way as green dashed lines and promoted walking routes such as the Pennine Way National Trail (running westwards from the centre of the map) as a chain of green diamonds. Access land is indicated by the yellow tint with light orange borders
© Copyright Ordnance Survey. Crown copyright reserved. Used by permission.

Another OS series, 1:50 000 Landranger maps in pink and silver covers, also include rights of way and permissive routes, major long distance paths, cycle routes and selected tourist attractions, but show less detail and exclude field boundaries; OS are now marketing them as maps for planning days out rather than navigating on the ground. Many experienced walkers find them adequate, however, especially in more open countryside, and since they cover a larger area long distance walkers may need fewer sheets.

This extract from an OS Landranger map is centred on the same point as the Explorer extract above, but the less detailed scale means the four squares in the centre of this extract correspond to the whole of the Explorer extract. Public rights of way and promoted walking routes are shown in red, and no field boundaries are included.
© Copyright Ordnance Survey. Crown copyright reserved. Used by permission.

The OS also now offers customised Explorers and Landrangers centred on the grid reference or postcode of your choice under the name OS Select.

The Ramblers have had a long and often fruitful relationship with the OS. Decades ago the RA successfully campaigned to have public rights of way shown in England and Wales; more recently, we helped ensure the inclusion of access land and rights of way along so-called "white roads". We continue to work closely with the OS to ensure walkers' needs are taken into account in the production of their maps.

Other paper maps

While no other publisher covers all of Britain at detailed scales, a number of other specialist publishers do offer maps of use to walkers. The most important is Harvey who produce very clear specialist walkers’ maps of certain popular upland areas and long distance paths at 1:25 000 and 1:40 000 scales. The maps also include useful information and addresses, and most are printed on weatherproof paper.

This Harvey Superwalker extract shows the same area around Edale at the same scale as the OS Explorer map illustrated above. No field boundaries are included, but the map clearly distinguishes between public rights of way, shown by red dots, and footpaths or tracks visible on the ground, shown by black dashes. For example the route west from Edale to Shaw Wood is a right of way but not clearly indicated on the ground, while the Pennine Way follows a clearly defined track.
© Copyright Harvey Map Services Ltd. Used by permission.

Harvey also publish the Long Distance Path Chart showing an outline of the network of longer promoted routes across the UK, in conjunction with the Long Distance Walkers' Association (Order here!).

This extract from the Long Distance Path Chart is also centred on Edale, but at a much smaller scale that can only be used for planning purposes rather than for taking out on a walk. The green line starting at Edale and running north is the Pennine Way: the colour indicates a national trail. The dashed line to the west is the Pennine Bridleway, shown as under development, though this section has opened since the map was published. The red lines are other signed routes: those with an additional yellow outline are European routes. See our paths and routes section for more information.
© Copyright Harvey Map Services Ltd and Long Distance Walkers Association. Used by permission.

In urban areas street atlases can be more useful than OS maps: the Philips series is probably the best for walkers since most rights of way and other off-road paths, parks and open spaces and even some promoted routes are clearly shown.

Two series of strip maps produced for other purposes but of occasional use to walkers are the National Cycle Network maps, including off-road sections, produced by Sustrans, and the waterway maps from GeoProjects.

Weatherproof editions of OS and other maps are available from specialist suppliers (see below): these are more durable but of course bulkier and heavier than paper maps.

OS maps only cover Great Britain. For information about walkers' maps of Ireland, contact

Where to obtain maps

OS maps are widely available: bookshops, information centres, larger newsagents and even some garages stock their local sheets, and bookshops can obtain others to order. Road atlases are available locally or direct from the publishers. Maps can also be bought from specialist retailers, over the Internet or direct from the publishers.

Aqua3 offer the full range of OS maps (and several other map series) in either paper or weatherproof versions: buy from them using the links from this site and you'll earn a 10% discount and free postage, while we'll receive a 10% donation to spend on our charitable work.

The following specialists offer a wide range of walkers' maps, and sometimes walking guidebooks too, by mail order:

Ramblers members can take advantage of our OS map hire service - see the map library page for details. We also have a number of Harvey maps for sale, including the Long Distance Path Chart and many of the strip maps. Please note we don't sell OS maps ourselves.

Digital mapping

OS Explorer and Landranger maps, and some Harvey maps, are now available in digital form as part of software packages that offer many other useful features in addition to the ability to view and print the maps. Prices seem expensive but are cheap when compared to the equivalent paper maps. Various systems are available and each set of discs usually includes a road atlas for the whole of Britain as well as detailed mapping of a specific area: you can then add detailed mapping of other areas by buying further discs. Note that domestic systems generally don't allow you to scan in your own paper maps.

Digital mapping packages usually offer at least the following features:

  • Viewing and printing maps at a range of different scales: for example by printing a 1:25 000 Explorer map at 1:10 000 it becomes much easier to read.
  • Defining your own walking routes by drawing on top of the map or entering a series of grid references.
  • Calculating the length and height profile of defined routes, with estimates of walking time that you can customise to suit your own pace and preferences.
  • Sharing routes with other users or downloading them from the web.
  • Linking with a compatible GPS and/or pocket PC, allowing you to programme your GPS with a route in advance; record a route on your GPS as you walk it and then download it to your home computer; and even view a map and route on a pocket PC while walking.
  • Showing maps in 3D form with virtual "walk-throughs" of your routes: not only fun to watch but also a good illustration of how much climbing is involved.

Before buying you should take care to check that your hardware meets the system requirements. You will need a relatively powerful computer for the systems to work properly, and for reasonably fast access you'll also need plenty of space on your hard drive. Some discs are now in the higher-capacity DVD format so make sure you have a drive that can read these. Some systems require a 3D video card in order to display 3D graphics. If you intend to use the system with GPS or a pocket PC, make sure these are also compatible with the software.

The following companies currently offer digital mapping and sell their products direct by mail order.

  • Anquet. Range includes complete Landranger coverage of GB on one or two DVDs, two CDs or nine regional CDs; Explorer coverage on a sheet by sheet basis, with additional aerial photography on England and Wales discs; National Park maps with Explorer coverage of the park itself and additional Landranger coverage of park and surrounding area plus aerial photography; Harvey maps of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. Clear mapping and easy interface, very good place name index and ability to go directly to grid reference, lots of 3D features.
    You can buy Anquet maps at a discount and help contribute to our work by following the links from this site: read more.
  • Hillwalker. Good value GB-wide Landranger coverage on one CD, though map quality is not as sharp as competitors due to compression. Also offer less compressed Landrangers, Explorers, Harvey mapping and specialist discs for hillwalkers. Not the most intuitive system and no 3D support though it produces very thorough and flexible route cards and is of particular interest to hillwalkers.
  • memory-map. Landrangers for the whole country Explorers for selected National Parks and other popular walking areas and strips covering selected long distance routes, some of which also include 3D aerial photos; also selected A-Z street atlases. Easy to use though limited in the amount of notes you can make on routes.
  • TrackLogs. Full range of Landrangers and Explorers including custom maps centred on a specific location. Excellent and intuitive route designing and printing system and 3D features.

Online mapping. Some websites offer map extracts online, searchable by locality name, postcode or grid reference and zoomable for a variety of scales from road atlas to street atlas level. View a current list.