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Getamap MagazineOrdnance SurveyMagazine

Map Symbols

Map symbols height and contours

Ordnance Survey maps use standardised map symbols, known as 'legends', to represent features on the ground. Using our map symbol guides you can find out what everything represents on the printed Ordnance Survey Landranger and Explorer maps, and the online maps in getamap.

As a quick-reference guide, you can download the following guides to English and Scottish Ordnance Survey map symbols (pdf documents);

1:25 000 scale Explorer Maps England & Scotland (pdf 1Mb)

1:50 000 scale Landranger Maps English version (pdf 321k)

1:25 000 scale Explorer Maps additional symbols (pdf 267k)

And for Welsh language versions of Ordnance Survey map symbols you'll need these; 1:25 000 scale Explorer Maps Welsh version (PDF 390k), and 1:50 000 scale Landranger Maps Welsh version (PDF 433k) 

Abbreviations

If you've ever been perplexed by what some of the abbreviations stand for on Ordnance Survey maps, you can find out by checking our guide to map abbreviations;

Abbreviations used on 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 scale maps (pdf 45k)

Complete set of Ordnance Survey abbreviations (all maps)



 
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