Ordnance Survey and the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way of England and Wales

Abstract

The appearance of symbols for public rights of way on Ordnance Survey maps is taken for granted today. Their authority as public ways is derived from the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way which was prepared consequent to the provisions set out in Part IV of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Definitive Map was mainly surveyed by volunteers from all walks of life working to non-compulsory guidelines. The resulting maps differed in accuracy of depiction and content. The inclusion in the national map specification of information of variable standards caused cartographic design problems and major changes in policy for Ordnance Survey. The background to rights of way mapping, and its translation to the national map at the one-inch scale down to 1968 is examined here.

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