a-z /ordnance differences

[tali122]

whats the differences between an a-z and an ordnance survey map?-i know what the 0S maps are used for but it seems an a-z has far more detail

[redmug100]

basicly an a-z is a street map it does not show how high the land is - Snowden looks the same as a big field with lots of footpaths on it! Simply put a-z is more useful in towns & cities whilst OS is of more use in the countryside.

[vehelpfulguy]

Most a-z that I am aware of are basically street maps of urban areas (cities and towns) with some local details such as schools, hospitals etc.

Ordanance survey maps cover the whole country (cities, towns, villages, hamlets, hills, beaches, cliffs etc) and are VERY detailed and accurate (but rarely give street names for example)..

They also show footpaths and bridle ways which are vital if you are gojng for a country walk, plus contour lines to show how hilly an area is. Try finding that on an a-z.

Also note that there are different types of OS maps.

There are Explorer (4cm to 1km), Landranger (2cm to 1km) plus others.

Full details here:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/mapshop/

Whenever I am going on a UK holiday I ALWAYS buy an OS map of the area, it is amazing what you can find out about an area from studying the map.

You can find hidden villages, country lanes, secret beaches, country houses, places to watch birds and so on.

I often 'read' a map like a guide book before I go to an area. I usually have a good idea of the places I wish to go by studying the local OS map.

[Toureman]

An A-Z would be completly useless if you were going for a cross country walk

An ordanance survey map would not be much good in the middle of a city.

The two maps are used for entirely different reasons.