This page is designed to give you a basic understanding of map reading. If you want to learn more, the Ramblers' Association have map reading courses open to members.

Where to start?

First you have to chose your map. Buy a colour Ordnance Survey (OS) map, either Landranger (1:50000 scale), or Explorer 1:25000 (these are more detailed and therefore recommended for walking). Here's how the scales work. 1:25000 means that one unit of measurement on the map (for instance 1cm) is the same as 25,000 of those units (in this case 25,000cm or 250 m) in real life. OS maps can be purchased at many outlets, or you can visit the Ordnance Survey online shop.

With a map you will need to buy a compass. Silva are a well known compass manufacturer and their products are easy to find at outdoor retailers. To protect your map whilst walking, a map case is also required.

Folding a map

One of the biggest problems for a beginner! To avoid the struggle, follow these three steps

Step 1
Start with your map completely unfolded with the shiny cover face up in the bottom left hand corner. Now fold the map in half by bringing the top edge to meet the bottom edge.

Step 2
Next, start folding from the cover along the crease lines, making sure the shiny cover can be seen all the time.

Step 3
Finally, fold in half so that the shiny covers are on the outside. It’s as simple as that!

Map Symbols

Next, learn the symbols on a map. This will be helpful in the future for taking bearings and telling you where you are or giving you an idea where to go. Click one of the following for a list of symbols found on an Explorer 1:25000 map or Landranger 1:50000 map.

Contour lines

Contour lines are a way of showing you how high the land is. They join together places of the same height and form patterns that help us to imagine what the land actually looks like. Remember that the closer together the contour lines are, the steeper the land. Contour lines that are wide apart show us that the land is flatter. When you're travelling across steep landscapes (where contour lines are very close together) it will add time on to your journey. This where Naismith’s rule comes into play. Naismith said that you should allow an extra minute of walking time for every 10 metres of height that you climb. Contour lines are usually drawn at 10 metre intervals on a 1:50000 scale map and at 5 metre intervals on a 1:25000 scale map.

Measuring distance on maps

Well now you should know the basics of what a map is telling you. Next-measuring distance on maps. It's usually not possible to travel in a straight line between two points on a map. If you're following a road or footpath, it can change direction many times to avoid things like woods and rivers. However, there are still simple ways of measuring the actual distance you will need to travel between two points. String can be used to measure distance in three easy steps.

Step 1
Take a length of string-it's best to take one longer than you think you'll need-and place one end on your starting point.

Step 2
Now carefully lay the string along the road or path you know you're going to use, following the curves as closely as you can. When you reach your finishing point, mark it on your string with a pen.

Step 3
Now that you have your distance from the map, you can straighten out your string and place it against the scale bar to find out how far you will actually be travelling.

Or you could use a piece of paper-

Step 1
Start at the left hand corner of the paper, every time the route disappears or moves away from the straight edge of your paper, make a small mark on the edge and pivot the paper so the edge is back on course.

Step2
Repeat this process until you reach your destination.

Step 3
You should be left with a series of marks along the edge of your paper. You can now place the sheet against the scale bar on your map. The last mark you made will tell you the real distance you need to travel.

Grid references

The grid lines on an Ordnance Survey map are called eastings (along the corridor) and northings (up the stairs).

Four-figure grid reference
Each square has a grid reference which you get by putting together the numbers of the easting and northing that cross in its bottom left hand corner.

Six-figure grid references
In your head, you should be able to divide all sides of the square into ten equal sections. By doing this, you can pinpoint locations within the square – these are called six-figure grid references.

Compass Bearings

Now it's time to bring the compass in to play, so you need to know how to take bearings.

Step 1
Find the two points on the map that you want to travel from and to. Line up your compass edge between the two points, so that your direction-of-travel arrow is pointing to your destination.

Step 2
Rotate the compass housing until the orienting lines in the centre are pointing to the top of your map. You can do this by lining them up parallel to the grid lines.

Step 3
Now rotate the dial until the north pointer lines up with the mark on the dial that joins the direction of travel arrow (this is called the index line).

Step 4
Now read the bearing at the bottom of the direction-of-travel arrow, at the index line. In our example, the bearing is 320°. You will need to take into account the difference between grid north (on your map) and magnetic north (on your compass). This is called magnetic variation and your map will tell you how many degrees to add to your bearing. This can vary depending on where you are in the country.

Step 5
To head in the right direction, you must now re-orientate your compass. This means turning the whole compass around until the magnetic north needle points in the same direction as the orienting arrow. The way the direction-of-travel arrow is now pointing is the direction you must walk in to get to your destination.

To help you stay on track, it’s important to take regular bearings during your journey. Being one degree out at the start of your journey is not too serious, but if you continue in the wrong direction for too long, you will end up far from where you want to be.

Wherever possible, try and divide your journey up into short sections, taking new bearings from the landmarks that you pass on the way.

That should be enought to get you started-Happy Mapping!

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The Mansfield & Sherwood Walking Group would like to thank Ordnance Survey for allowing us to link to their website.