New Ordnance Survey Maps

Abstract

THE new edition of the one-inch and quarter-inch Ordnance Survey maps is described, with specimen sheets, by Lt,-Col. W. J. Johnston in the Geographical Journal for March (vol. lv., No. 3). Three types of one-inch map are to be published: the popular, the district tourist, and the outline. The popular edition has contours in orange at 50-ft. vertical interval in place of the 100-ft. and 250-ft. interval on the former one-inch maps. A new classification of roads, which divides them into ten categories, makes the main roads, coloured red, stand out prominently. Rivers and streams are shown in solid blue. Parish boundaries, which caused much confusion with footpaths, are omitted, but county boundaries are retained. Woods are coloured green. The outline edition is the present one-inch map, which in future will be printed from stone, on stout paper. The tourist edition entails a combination of sheets to cover conveniently in one map certain areas frequented by holiday-makers. It is hoped to have at least eight of the tourist sheets ready before the summer.,The contours are at 100-ft. and 250-ft. intervals, and the representation of relief is made more striking by the use of hachures and transparent colour layers; rivers are in solid blue and woods in green. The black printing will be the same as in the popular edition The quarter-inch map is being issued with contoure and layer colours in place of hill shading, red colour for main roads only, solid blue for streams, and no green wood symbol. The sample sections of the popular one-inch and the quarter-inch maps accompanying Col. Johnston's paper are beautiful specimens *of 'cartography, and a great improvement on the old editions, good as they were. The tourist one-inch will be useful mainly by reason of the combination of sheets which it offers. We understand that arrangements have been made to popularise these maps bv having them on sale at all booksellers' and bookstalls.