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 with a larger photo, and other photo details. The photo page also has a section of the 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map. The Map link in the notes column displays the 1:25,000 scale OS map with the relevant symbol.

"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: spire			Map link
Current or former place of worship with spire, minaret or dome: minaret			Map link
Current or former place of worship with spire, minaret or dome: 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	or		Map link From 2016 1st symbol will be replaced by 2nd symbol
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
Slopes			Map link
Solar farm			Map link

Pits and heaps

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 This pit used to have the gravel pit symbol, but after revision doesn't. We cannot find a gravel pit symbol in use at present.
Sand pit			Map link As for the gravel pit, the map no longer has the sand pit symbol - the boundaries and uses of these pits change with time, some get used for landfill, some are flooded, some become grassed over.
Other pit or quarry			Map link Slate quarry
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link Landfill
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link China clay spoil heap
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link coal mine spoil heap
Landfill site or slag/spoil heap			Map link Slag heap

Map symbol images are Crown Copyright.

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