Rights of Way and Access - OS 25K map symbols
Contents
This is one of a series of articles which give photographs of features on the ground which have standard symbols on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, and also show the symbol. See OS 25K map symbols for introduction to the series, and links to other articles in it. Ordnance Survey have told us that although the symbols are copyright they allow them to be copied without charge or specific licence .
Click on a photo thumbnail to see a page with a larger photo, and other photo details. The photo page also has a section of the 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map; click on that map to see an Ordnance Survey section of 1:25,000 scale map. The last column has a direct link to that section of map (depending on browser, you may need back button to return to article).
Rights of way and other public access route symbols on 25K maps have different colours from those used on 50 K maps, see Rights of way and access symbols on 50K maps for our examples of the latter. The 25K map for England and Wales has symbols for public access land. For Scotland there are symbols for other public access land.
Public Rights of Way
Description | Symbol | Photo | Map link and notes | |
Footpath | Map link The footpath runs North-south. A bridleway crosses it running near East-west | |||
Bridleway | Map link | |||
Byway open to all traffic | Map link | |||
Restricted byway | Map link |
Other Public Access
Description | Symbol | Photo | Map link and notes |
Other route with public access | Map link | ||
Recreational route | The name of a route appears at intervals beside the route | ||
Recreational Route (alternative route) | Example to be added | ||
National Trail (England and Wales) | A national trail can have an acorn symbol beside it Map link | ||
Permissive footpath | Map link | ||
Permissive bridleway | Map link | ||
Traffic-free cycle route | Map link | ||
National cycle network route number - traffic-free | Map link | ||
National cycle network route number - on road | Map link | ||
Danger Area | Map link; this link shows words on the map, the next shows boundary on the map. | ||
Danger Area boundary | Map link | ||
Managed Access land in MOD area | Link to Map; the map also has the web address www. access.mod.uk www.access.mod.uk. Choosing "Midlands" from this gives as one choice Leek and Upper Hulme which gives information about the managed access in this area. |
Access Land (England and Wales)
Access information point | Map link | ||
Access land boundary and tint | Map link | ||
Access land in woodland area - conifers | Map link; the symbols column has a map extract showing an area of conifer woodland with access. Symbols for conifer, deciduous, coppice or a mixture can be shown within an access land boundary. | ||
Access land in woodland area | Map link; the symbols column has the tint as shown in the key to the map. The map example shows deciduous trees in an access area.| | ||
Access land in woodland area - coppice | Map link; the symbols column has a map example showing all three types of woodland symbol in a small area of access within an area of non-access woodland. | ||
Ordinary woodland areas (to compare tint with above) | Ordinary woodland; the three sets of symbols are conifers at the top, then deciduous, then coppice. The example has deciduous trees with no access on the left, with access on the right Link to Map | ||
Access land within sand | symbol shows three types of Access land - example has sand | ||
Coastal margin | Map link; See pdf page OS key to 25K map symbols for information about access. Only limited areas of the England Coast Path have been added to the online maps - parts in Dorset, Durham, Cumbria and Norfolk first. |
Public Access (Scotland
The symbols for Recreational Route, Alternative to Recreational Route, Traffic-free cycle route and cycle route numbers are as shown for "Other Public Access" above.Description | Symbol | Photo | Map link and notes |
Scotland's Great Trails | A Great trail can have a thistle symbol beside it Map link | ||
Boundary of specified access area | Map link The purple line symbol as used around Forestry Commission and similar access land is not shown separately on the key, but is shown around the appropriate symbols as below. | ||
National Trust for Scotland always open | Map link; on this and next four items, there is a symbol to show the organisation, and a purple boundary line to show the extent of the access area. | ||
National Trust for Scotland limited opening | Map link | ||
Forestry Commission Land | Map link | ||
Forestry Commission Land - boundary | Map link | ||
Woodland Trust Land | Map link |
Map symbol images are Crown Copyright