General features - OS 25k map symbols

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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 (in a new window) 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 Get-a-map section of 1:25,000 scale map. The Get-a-map link in the notes column displays the map, but not in a new window - use the browser back button to return to this article.

"General features" include places of worship, other buildings, masts, lighthouses, slopes and pits (which have a separate heading in this article as there is more discussion of their symbols). Many of the features in this section are in the Land feature symbols on 50K maps. Some features which have symbols on 50K have no symbol on 25K - for example: pipeline with flow direction; ruin (building outline without colour infill); chimney (small circle) - not specified in 25K symbol key but symbol looks the same; heliport (H symbol on 50K, word on 25K); Graticule intersection at 5' intervals (not shown on 25K). Some "land features" on the key to 50K symbols appear in other sections of the 25K symbols key - for example woodland, National Trust properties.

Some abbreviations are in the OS key to symbols. We have a separate abbreviations article showing which are used on 25K and 50K scale maps, and giving examples with links to Geograph photos. There are examples of the abbreviations listed in the OS key to 25K symbols.

General

Description	Symbol	Photo	Notes
Place of worship			Map link This symbol is generally used for a place of worship with no tower, spire or dome. The example is by Old Town Bay, Isles of Scilly.
Current or former place of worship with tower			Map link
Current or former place of worship with spire, minaret or dome			Map link
Building			Map link This large supermarket does not have the black outline of "important buildings"
Important building			Map link This small school does have the black outline of "important buildings", which used to appear in the key as "public buildings".
Glasshouse			Map link
Youth Hostel			Map link
Bunkhouse, camping barn, or other hostel			Map link
Bus or coach station			Map link
Lighthouse			Map link
Disused lighthouse			Map link
Beacon			Map link
Triangulation pillar			Map link
Mast			Map link The symbol has a curvy line at the top, to represent waves as the symbol is used most for transmission masts. It is not a propeller for wind masts - they have a cross at the top.
Windmill, with or without sails			Map link
Wind pump			Map link
Wind turbine			Map link
Electricity transmission line, with pylon			Map link On 25K maps the pylon symbol (a small square) is at the pylon position, whereas on 50K map they are at standard spacing.
Electricity transmission line, with pole			Map link The power line runs north-south from Sulham to the M4.
Slopes			Map link

Pits

In many cases the symbol on the map does not correspond with the title and description for the photo. Usually there is wording on the map to indicate the type of pit. Contour lines are generally omitted in the area of a working pit.

Description	Symbol	Photo	Notes
Gravel pit			Map link There is just a small area of the dots which are the gravel pit symbol
Gravel pit			Map link The photo description says it is sand being extracted, the company website says it is aggregates, and the symbol is that of a gravel pit
Sand pit			Map link
Sand pit			Map link Marked as a sand and gravel pit on the 25K map, the symbol for the main area of the pit seems to be that for a landfill site or slag/spoil heap. The steep sides of the quarry are not shown on the map - and contour lines from about 300 metres down to 240 metres stop at the boundary of the pit. Presumably this is because the pit is still being worked, so contours will change over time.
Other pit or quarry			Map link
Other pit or quarry			Map link The 50K map shows cliffs down into the quarry, the 25K map does not show any slope or cliff down into the quarry.
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link Wording "Tips (dis)" on the 25K map

Map symbol images are Crown Copyright.

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