Old Ordnance Survey Maps

[Jack Harrison]

I have been sent this excellent link:
http://maps.nls.uk/

Not just Scotland but includes late 19th century inch-to-the-mile maps of all England and Wales:
http://maps.nls.uk/os/one-inch-rev-new- ... index.html

A good resource for seeing just how much of our ancient woodland/scrub (for example) has been lost in the past 100+ years

Jack

[MikeOxon]

To add to Jack's information: you can also access the 6" County Maps (1:10,560) for Great Britain on http://www.british-history.ac.uk/map.aspx?pubid=270

Begun in 1840, this is the first comprehensive historic mapping of England, Scotland and Wales.

Mike

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Jack and Mike for the info.
Chris

[Jack Harrison]

Chris in Marseille

Thanks

Is there an equivalent in France to the British Ordnance Survey maps? I have been to many parts of the world but nowhere have I found any maps that remotely compare to our own OS. Compare our splendid modern OS maps with those awful Google offerings - lack of contrast, colour, etc - an embarrassment for Google who should know better. Present day Google maps do however stand comparison with the 19th century black and white OS maps.

Jack

[millerd]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with that opinion of Google Maps, Jack! Almost useless, and so many internet sites use them as a default. Streetmap is much better, as OS 1:50 000 and 1:25 000 are what are used when you want that sort of scale.

Dave

[Chris Jackson]

Is there an equivalent in France to the British Ordnance Survey maps?

Hi Jack,
Down here they are called "cartes IGN" because they are published by the Institut Géographique National .
Talking about OS maps brings back memories of orienteering in the Scouts many years ago, when I was back in Leicester. We didn't have SAT NAV or GPS then !
Chris

[Lee Hurrell]

I agree with Dave on Streetmap, it's much better for the OS map details.

I do like Google maps for the satellite imagery though, it really helps with finding habitat, and worldwide too. Even my phone's sat nav is wonderful at finding habitat you would otherwise just drive past!

Best wishes,

Lee

[Jack Harrison]

Lee

satellite imagery though, it really helps with finding habitat........ you would otherwise just drive past!

Some of you might recall that I identified a potential Grizzled Skipper habitat in Cambridgeshire that was subsequently confirmed by Phil and Rosalyn as having a good colony - a rewarding joint effort. I met them there a few days later and was delighted to see the discovery "close-up". Another site I thought had potential initially drew a blank but I believe that Grizzled Skipper was found there on a later visit.

My tip for undiscovered Grizzled and Dingy Skipper: study the satellite imagery and locate rough ground adjacent to railway lines.

This is another good satellite source + proper OS map (can't recall who put me on to this). You can move around on map as required.

http://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/grabagrid ... /index.htm

Jack

[Charles Nicol]

Lee

satellite imagery though, it really helps with finding habitat........ you would otherwise just drive past!

Some of you might recall that I identified a potential Grizzled Skipper habitat in Cambridgeshire that was subsequently confirmed by Phil and Rosalyn as having a good colony - a rewarding joint effort. I met them there a few days later and was delighted to see the discovery "close-up". Another site I thought had potential initially drew a blank but I believe that Grizzled Skipper was found there on a later visit.

My tip for undiscovered Grizzled and Dingy Skipper: study the satellite imagery and locate rough ground adjacent to railway lines.

This is another good satellite source + proper OS map (can't recall who put me on to this). You can move around on map as required.

http://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/grabagrid ... /index.htm

Jack

sorry to rain on your parade Jack... i visited that site several times before you

[Jack Harrison]

Charles

sorry to rain on your parade Jack... i visited that site several times before you

That’s interesting. After I had disclosed the map reference on ukb I was told to keep quiet about it.

Surely herein is a danger? If you knew about it and had chosen or been told to keep quiet then there must be a greater risk of the site being ruined/developed for other purposes – you name it.

We are back to the old debate: keep quiet or publicise. Secrecy for secrecy’s sake is – in my opinion - rarely the best course of action. Compare the Loch Garten Ospreys. When they first started breeding some 60 years ago, the RSPB (I presume it would have been RSPB) decided to make the site fully available to the public: if the site were kept confidential the risk of egg collecting was simply too great. And just look at the benefits that openness has brought to the area not to mention the birds.

Jack

[MikeOxon]

We are back to the old debate: keep quiet or publicise.

It's always an interesting subject - might be worth a thread of its own. I remember that, years ago, BBOWT kept a veil of secrecy over the Monkey Orchid site near Goring. Then, they decided to have an open day, loads of people came and the Orchids have been doing better and better over the years! Perhaps, we need to be sure that a site is firmly established and a fully viable habitat before opening the gates. If it isn't, the species in question will probably die out anyway! It's interesting how many introduced colonies thrive for a few, or even several, years but eventually fail. Sand Point seems to be an example.

Mike