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Being able to read a “proper” map is a key life skill, in my personal and humble opinion. None of this Google Maps nonsense, if you wish to go exploring then there’s nothing like good map skills to get you going and keep you on your toes. An OS Explorer Map is the choice du jour of the keen hiker, amateur or well-practiced.
The biggest hurdle many people have that stops them from solo hiking is the fear of getting lost. While this worry can be debilitating when you focus on all the “what ifs”, it’s easy enough to arm yourself with the knowledge you’ll need:
- How to not get lost in the first place
- Finding yourself again (not in a woke kind of way, but if you do that’s the beauty of hiking for you) and correct your course
Why Reading a Map is Important
Learning to read a map is the most important navigational skill to learn as hiker. As a solo hiker it’s even more crucial. Don’t be daunted, because reading a map is easy (when you know how), interesting (you get to learn more about the area you’re in) and to be honest, it’s just downright cool. I think I should start a Women Reading Maps photography series to show you just how epic it is!
Building up your bank of navigational knowledge is a super-power. Being able to be dropped in any location and finding your way home again with nothing but a map and a good sturdy pair of boots is a Goddess skill for sure.
Understanding the land around us is a deeply feminine skill. While in the great misty olden days, when the men were out prancing about and hunting for game, women would be foraging. Knowing what edible foods were where, and which poisons to avoid meant women had to be able to read the land. Let’s face it ladies, when it comes to reading the landscape and hiking through it, we can do it as well as the boys!
What is an OS Explorer Map?
There are many different types of map – topographical, road atlases and tourist maps – but for the purposes of hiking, an OS Explorer Map is your best option. In my humble opinion it’s really the only option because of the sheer level of detail it provides and how easy it is to read.
There are 2 main OS Maps you might consider as a hiker: Landranger and Explorer. Here are the main differences between them:
- OS Landranger – Has a scale of 1:50k (the “k” being indicative of 1,000), meaning that every 2cm correlates to 1km IRL. It includes less detail but covers a larger area with a focus on roads, towns and places of interest
- OS Explorer – Has a scale of 1:25k, meaning 4cm is 1km IRL. It includes more detail and as such is the more popular choice here, with a focus on rights of way, trails and footpaths
The OS Landranger maps are designed to be used for road cycling, holidays and trips, whereas OS Explorer Maps, as the name suggests, are used for walking and off-road biking. They can also be used for so much more, including hacking (off-road horse riding), climbing, running and even kayaking! They really are meant for the intrepid explorer, and with these maps in hand you’ll soon realise how intrepid you can be… even close to home!
The other OS maps available include:
- OS Tour (for tourist spots and landmarks)
- OS Road (for driving), OS Urban (for tourism and days out)
- themed maps (great for gifts)
- OS Historical (for educational explorations)
- Short Walks and Pathfinder guides (for easy trips and holidays).
For the purpose of hiking, learning to read an OS Explorer Map will give you the tools to read any other map, including these ones.
OS maps may seem daunting to you at first, given the sheer level of detail included. There’s really no need to be worried though, as you can start quite easily with the basics. Developing a deeper understanding will come to you naturally, as you spend more and more time with your trusty companion.
What are OS Explorer Map Numbers?
OS Explorer Maps are categorised so that you can easily find the map you’re looking for, covering the exact area where you’re planning a hike. Most of the maps overlap into other maps, ensuring every single area is covered. The numbers of the maps themselves correspond to an area of England, Wales or Scotland.
The overlap of different maps means that if you are heading into the territory of another map (perhaps you’re going to need more than 1 map you adventurer), then you’ve got enough information to help you locate your position on map number 2. This will keep you from getting lost as you switch over or help you to correct your course should you go a little off-piste. If you’re following a trail that dips in and out of your map’s coverage, having an overlap means it’s easier to choose the correct route and not confuse yourself.
The OS map numbers not only help you to select the correct map for the area you live in, or where you’re planning a trip, they also allow you to easily organise your map collection. As you can see, my family has a fair few to keep us going!
Caption: The map of my local area is 156 – what’s your map number?
Understanding the Main Features of a Map
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the level of detail included in an OS Explorer Map then fear not, for I am here to help you! Getting to grips with a few key aspects of these maps will greatly increase your solo hiking confidence, as they allow you to understand the landscape a whole lot better.
North
“North” is a more complicated matter than you might yet realise, so let’s get stuck straight in. There are 3 different types of north you might come across:
- True North
- Magnetic North
- Grid North
True North (also known as geodetic north and geographical north) is the direction of the line of longitude. These are the vertical lines you’ll see on a model globe, converging at the north and south poles.
Magnetic North is a trickier beast. It is the direction a magnetic compass points. The thing is, magnetic north changes all the time. Only slightly, mind, but if you need magnetic north, then you’ll need to ensure you have an up-to-date bearing.
Grid North is the direction of the grid system of your map. These vary between map-makers and may vary between the maps themselves. Historical maps are likely to have a different grid north to modern maps.
A compass can be used to take your bearings and is used for navigating, working out a specific location or direction. Magnetic compasses will always point to the magnetic north, though there are many different types of compasses these days.
On OS maps, in the legend on the right hand side, there is a brief section covering true, grid and magnetic north at the time the map was published. They also include the approximate annual change of magnetic north, though this might not still be the case.
In terms of reading a map, I’ve never had to use a compass to get my bearings (other than during my Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, but that was a very long time ago). The majority of the southwest of England has enough landmarks to keep you on track. I’ll cover compass reading, along with the different type of north readings in more depth in an upcoming article.
Scale
We’ve already touched on the scale of OS Explorer maps above (1:25k) but let’s take a moment to understand how this translates into useful information. 1:25k scale means 1:25,000 scale, so every 4cm = 1km in the real world. The blue squares placed in a grid over the map are 4cmx4cm, meaning every square covers 1km2 . Whenever you cross a square you are hiking 1km, if you go as the crow flies.
This will help you to plan your route and timings. It will take you a few hikes to work out how long it takes you to cover ground (for example, you might hike 5km in an hour) though bear in mind that different terrain will affect your speed. When you’re more used to route planning and have got a good few hikes under your belt, you will be able to take a glance at the grid and know how far and how long your next hike is going to take you.
Grid References
Remember the blue grid squares I mentioned before? You’ll be using those to take your grid references. This can help if you’re plotting a route, or if you’re in trouble. Learning how to take a grid reference is a crucial bit of information you’ll need. You might find it a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll see it’s actually quite easy.
Follow the lines out to the edge of the map and you’ll come across some numbers. You can use these to take a 4-number grid reference, taking the horizontal (eastings / X-axis) number first, then the vertical (northings / Y-axis). This will give you your approximate location on a map, within a grid square. An easy way to remember this is “along the corridor, up the stairs”.
For example: 68 69
Separating the grid numbers are 10 equally sized boxes (tenths), in alternating patterns. These will help you to pin-point your location more precisely by giving you a 6-figure grid reference.
For example: 685 693
Letters placed before the grid reading ensure further accuracy, since the numbers are repeated every 100,000. You can find these letters in the legend on the right, or superimposed over the map in the corners. On the photo below, the downwards arrow to the right (2) is pointing towards the letters “ST”. You can see on the image below the letters corresponding to the area of the UK you are in. Since the areas covered are quite large, multiple maps will have the same letters, but the numbers will be different. Make sense?
For example: ST 685 693
So long as you remember the “along the corridor, up the stairs” mantra, reading a map is easy.
Legend
The legend (an epic name for sure) is found on the right-hand side and details what all the little symbols mean. Thank goodness that you don’t have to memorise what everything means! There’s a lot of information here to help you make sense of your map. Take a look and see what you can find!
Topography – Reading contour lines
Reading the topography (landscape) of an area is crucial as a hiker. Will there be hills? Are the hills going to be steep? Can I avoid the hills altogether? All this information and more is available within the page of your map (I know! Fabulous things, aren’t they?)
Ok, so first question: what are contour lines? Contour lines are the little wiggly orange lines populating many areas in the south west. They are everywhere in his ‘ere part of the country and record the rise of land above sea level in graduations of 5 (60, 65, 70). The number at the top of a rise will depend on the height of the land and may not be a multiple of 5 (108, 112, 166).
If these lines are close together it means the rise is steep, the more spread out they are, the shallower the land will be. That’s it! Knowing this information can help you when planning a route to identify if your walk is going to by hilly, mountainous or mostly flat. If you’re not big on hills (which in this part of the country might be something you’ll have to overcome I’m afraid) then you can use this information to locate trails avoiding steep hills.
Honestly, the view from the tops of hills and mountains makes the slog up completely worth it. That and it’s a great way to tone your legs and booty, with the added bonus of recovering with a gorgeous vista as you take a breather (and maybe a snack).
Understanding Landscapes
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how to read your OS map, let’s take a dive into the finer details. While the legend (see above) will help you out when you’re out in the field, there’s definitely no harm getting to grips with it over a nice cup of tea indoors, without worrying whether that raincloud is headed for you or not.
Urban Areas
Towns, cities, villages and hamlets
- Buildings are coloured in very tiny orange dots, giving them a faded appearance, similar to the colour of contour lines. These little rectilinear drawings can be used to see the locations of farms, the plans of towns and cities and houses set in the middle of countryside.
- Farms are named and are a lot more prolific than you might have thought at first. Odd buildings, such as houses or barns in the middle of countryside are generally located close to tracks or along roads. Some people just like their peace and quiet!
- Towns and cities are perhaps the easiest things to spot on a map, a large collection of buildings which look like mazes in this scale! I find it fascinating to see how urban areas have grown and how they’re organised – sometimes there’s a rhyme and reason to be discerned. A lot of the time you can see that houses appear to have just popped up at random, almost like a natural living organism.
- Every urban area, from cities down to the smallest hamlet or farm will be named. This is handy to help you pinpoint where you are. City names are bold and black, larger and easier to spot, generally located slap-bang in the city centre in an area that isn’t as packed with info you’ll need.
- The names of towns are the same style as city names, just smaller and usually located close to the town, in an emptier area.
- The size of the text corresponds to the size of the urban area, so villages and hamlets will have smaller fonts, though still in bold. The smallest names are reserved for other areas – it’s insane to see how many areas and buildings actually have specific names. Humans love to categorise their environments to help us make sense of the world around us… just imagine how old some of those names will be!
- On the legend (see above section) you can find more information about urban areas. Take a look at how an important building is distinguished from a regular one, and check out how to spot a youth hostel (which could be useful if you’re planning a multi-day hike!)
Biddestone is a village 
The village of Grittleton, with the hamlet of Foscote to the south 
The town of Chippenham can be seen here, along with the village of Langley Burrell to the north-east 
Cities can be huge! Bristol takes up about half a map! 
The city of Bath is on the same map as Bristol (156), but as you can see it’s a lot smaller.
Houses and streets are mapped with surprising accuracy 
Doesn’t this look like a maze?
ViIlage name and a non-Roman site of historical importance 
Town name 
Town name 
The CP stands for Civil Parish, which is a type of administrative parish used for local government 
Town name 
City name, with it’s Roman name beneath, meaning “the waters of Sulis”
The English Countryside – Wild(ish) Country
My favourite of all areas is the wild country. Looking at maps of areas in the southwest might surprise you when you realise just how much open space is available to you. Of course we’re not talking acres of ancient oak forests (a crying shame in my opinion), but there are still woods and wild spaces to be found.
Woods
Shaded green with little tree symbols on. If you feel a little concerned about heading off into woodland as a solo hiker, then by all means stay clear (or invite a friend along!) Look out for managed woodland with decent trails through them. I would advise that woods closer to urban areas are less safe than woods in the middle of nowhere, but take extra precautions for both, to help you enjoy your hike fully.
Fields & Field Boundaries
Stick to footpaths here, as it’s generally somewhere between difficult and impossible to get out again somewhere else along the hedge! Bear in mind that some fields will likely have livestock in. Sheep are fine and not bothered by your presence at all – they’ll move out your way! Some people are more wary of cows, since they can be more inquisitive. Use your intuition and go a roundabout route if you’d rather.
A word of advice: if you have a dog and the cows start coming towards you, let your dog go as that’s the threat in their eyes and a dog will be able to out run cows and wiggle out through a hedge. Obviously this doesn’t apply to tiny dogs with little legs.
Water
Water is coloured blue on these maps, handily enough. The main bodies of water you’ll see in the southwest of England are:
- Sea – easy to spot since they are, of course, rather large. There’s some gorgeous coast paths in this part of the country
- Lakes and ponds – a body of water in an irregular shape. Ponds are obviously the smaller of the two, and may be ornamental or natural. If you’re after the soothing effects of being near water, then look out for these beauties. You might even be able to go wild swimming (if you’re brave enough!)
- Rivers – I’m sure you know what a river is and looks like, but were you aware of just how twisty they are? Those suckers get around! They really do like the scenic route!
- Streams – smaller rivers (yes, I know you know that) these bodies of water are harder to spot since it’s a thin blue line you’ll be looking for. Sometimes overshadowed if there’s a trail running alongside them, it’s useful to keep your eyes peeled for them, because they could be tricky to ford if there’s not a bridge or crossing on your route (especially if you’re freestyling your way as you go).
River Avon and ponds 
Bowood Lake 
River Avon and streams 
Floating harbour at Bristol
Roads, Tracks and Trails
There are a multitude of tracks criss-crossing OS maps, but where to begin? What do they all mean? Let’s take a look…
Public Rights of Way
These are the most important trails you’ll be needing to know if you’re a solo hiker. A good way to remember whether a track is a public right of way (aka, you can walk it) is when you see green! Green tracks cross all over maps of the UK, and it’s a lot of fun to join them up to create your own hiking routes!
Other public access routes are also green, such as green dots (defined as “other routes with public access”) and my personal fave, green diamonds. Green diamond routes signify national trails and/or long distance routes. There aren’t many of these in the entirety of England and in the southwest of England, you’re mainly looking at the Cotswold Way, South West Coast Path and the Offa’s Dyke route. You can also start the Ridgeway (Britain’s oldest road) and the Thames Path hikes in the south west of England.
Roads and Paths
Did you know that there are a lot of different types of roads to be found in England?
- Motorway
- Dual Carriageway
- Main Road – A Roads
- Secondary Roads – B Roads
- Other roads
- Paths
When it comes to roads, if you’re following a footpath then you’ll have no problem with working out where you’re going. It goes without saying to watch out for traffic!
If you find yourself having to walk along a road for a way then ALWAYS walk towards oncoming traffic. This way you can see what’s coming towards you and can keep as much to the side as possible. If you’re on a winding road, cross to the outside corner if you can. If someone is raring round corners, they will likely not see you on an inner bend in the road.
Oh and also, DO NOT wear headphones here. The ultimate goal is to complete your hike safely, so keeping aware and being a respectful road user is vital.
Railways
I’ll touch on these briefly. Railways are solid black lines cutting through the countryside in sweeping lines and curves. They’ve usually got black boundary lines surrounding them and if located in an embankment there will be little perpendicular lines to represent this. That’s essentially all you’ll be needing to know as a hiker, other than red dots along the line indicating stations (usually found in towns and cities, but not always).
Symbols to Look Out For
There are so many other symbols for you to discover! I’ll let you have your own fun in discovering more, but here are a few key symbols you might be interested in knowing…
- Phone boxes – less important but probably good to be aware of should your phone run out of juice. I don’t tend to carry change, so my advice would be to go and ask to use a phone in a pub or something if you really need to make a call. Most hospitality places will be perfectly happy to call you a taxi or help you out. The southwest of England is a friendly place! Case in point: a lot of telephone boxes in smaller villages have been converted into book exchanges.
- Pub! – The most crucial piece of information to know: will there be a pub en route, or even better, at the end. When your feet are sore and your legs cannot go on, a nice refreshing pint, and perhaps a filling pub meal, will soon have you right again.
- Parking – Very important to know, parking spots will signal whereabouts you start and finish your walk (if you have a car of course). In the countryside, and in smaller towns and villages you’ll usually find somewhere to park up on the side of the road. If you’re in the countryside proper, take care not to block gates to fields, as farmers may need to get in. Passing places may not be the most ideal place to stop either, particularly if it’s a long one-track road. It’s best to use your judgement here, or stick to signposted parking spots.
- Nature reserve – Nature reserves are areas of managed land with a focus on protecting and nurturing wildlife. Rights of way here are most definitely animal-centric. When heading off to a nature reserve it is crucial that you pay attention to the signage and stick to the paths. If you want “off the beaten track”, then these areas won’t be for you. Ground nesting birds and wildflowers are among the protected species in the UK and damaging even a tiny amount, one nest or one patch of flowers, is going to have wide reaching implications for not just the species, but the inter-linked food chain.
Historical Perspectives
I adore history and come from a family of history buffs. We each have our own areas of interest, but we all agree that exploring historical England is fascinating. Our landscape absorbs history like a sponge and there is so much to learn if you know how to read the landscape of a map
It’s up to you how in-depth you want your history knowledge to be, but the key is to look for the fancy writing!
There’s a LOT more going on in your local landscape than you’ll realise. Time hides a lot and I am still amazed at just how much historical knowledge is still around. From long-barrows, to Roman Forts and historical houses, the southwest of England is PACKED with history. Some of it might not be visible anymore, but just knowing that you’re walking around an old Roman fort (now a golf course – 7169 on OS map 155) is enough to give me chills.
I Got Lost! Help!
Getting lost is no bother, but it takes a little work to feel confident enough to embrace this inevitable possibility. At some point you will get lost. I don’t want you worrying though, because the more you practice with a good old-fashioned map, the easier it will be to correct course.
Sometimes, despite your best intentions, you’ll find yourself a little confused and out of place. Did you really take the correct fork in the road back there? Here are my top tips to help you get back on the right track:
- Use landmarks to navigate
Can you see a nearby town or village? What about a road? If you can place yourself in relation to the hills nearby then you’re well on your way to getting on your way again. Hills and slopes are great to take your bearings, because knowing which way the land lies will help you to determine whether you should be headed up or down!
Even if you begin by heading off in the wrong direction, by paying attention to your surroundings you’ll be able to work out where you are sooner or later. Remember: practice makes perfect!
- Ask a friendly local, passerby or fellow hiker
Do you completely, utterly, most definitely have no clue whatsoever as to where you are? No worries, I’ve been there too! For me, this usually happens in cities that are laid out in a grid – I’m so used to reading the landscape that when everything looks the same I get completely and utterly lost, map or not!
Asking a local or a fellow hiker passing by will save you hassle and worry, particularly when you’re starting out. People are usually very happy to help! I wouldn’t take it personally if someone doesn’t help. People hike to get away from people after all, but most of us are a happy bunch. 😊
- Embrace it and make a new route!
Gone wrong? Keep going! Once you’ve placed yourself, go exploring! Sometimes there’s nothing better than being deliciously lost and surrendering to new experiences. You might just discover something new. So long as you have a vague idea of where you are and which direction you’re heading in (and when the sun is setting) you’ll have no problems.
Get Started with Map Reading – Planning a Route
The best thing to do is grab yourself a map of your local area, or the area you’re planning to visit, and get stuck in! There’s usually parking in towns and villages, though you might have to pay. Like I mentioned above, you can also find places along roads to park. Just remember to steer clear of gates and parking places! If you’re not sure, then are there other cars there? Or can cars pass nearby if you’re in a layby?
After you’ve sorted your parking situation, or have decided to leave from your house, or take public transport, you’ll be wanting to plan a nice circular route. Join up the green footpaths and don’t go too crazy! Maps can be misleading and it can take a lot longer to do a kilometre than you expect! Start small, and you can always add on extra bits.
Links to OS Maps – CAN I LINK AN IMAGE OFF OVERLAPPING MAPS & link each number to the corresponding map?
Top Tips for Map Readers!
Before you head off on your adventures, I have a couple of last-minute tips for first time hikers and solo hikers.
- Practice makes perfect – the more you do it, the better you’ll become! And the more you’ll love it.
- Stick to footpaths – to help you steer clear of private land & so you don’t get stuck in a field! (I’ve climbed through and over a fair few hedgerows in my time!)
Not sure what’s next? Get to know the countryside code or learn to use a compass with my easy to use guides in the A Woman Walks Academy. Alternatively, learn more about the history of maps with my guide here!
From me to you my fellow wanderers,
Jenni
👣
* Odessa Farm is located at grid reference ST 827 555. Did you get it right?