Mapping - Countryside Agency and Ordnance Survey
Information
Sheet 11
Countryside Agency Mapping Issues
The Conclusive (final) maps of open country and registered common land were issued in May 2005. They are available on the internet at
http://www.openaccess.gov.uk/S4/html/regional/6/r6.htm (external site, opens new window)
(This link takes you direct to the maps for the South West – area 6)
However, these Countryside Agency maps include the proviso that they should not be used as walking maps; they are to inform about the status of the land in relation to the CRoW Act definitions of open country and registered common land. They do not categorically show where access rights apply in relation to the CRoW Act because within the areas mapped as open country and registered common land there may be:
- excepted land (where access rights do not apply)
- restrictions i.e. where CRoW access rights have been restricted on a long or short term basis.
For definitions of what is excepted land, see Information Sheet 4 on Excepted Land.
Maps showing the latest restrictions are available on the open access website (see Information Sheet 8 on using the open access website to search for restrictions). The maps on the open access website must not be used as a walking guide – they are only to inform about the timing and location of restrictions.
Ordnance Survey Mapping Issues
Revised OS Explorer maps covering the National Park will be available in time for commencement on 28th August 2005. They will show new CRoW Act access land. There are several important issues to understand about the way that access land will be shown and the problems that users are likely to encounter as a result:
- all access land is shown in same way with an orange colour wash - it does not depict Dartmoor Commons Act access land differently from CRoW Act land or access agreement land (this is an important difference for example in where you can/can’t camp or ride a horse);
- no access points are shown on the OS maps. This is of little importance on open moorland but more problematic in enclosed areas e.g. newtakes, where people need to know the location of stiles and gates to enter and leave the land.
- The three military Ranges are shown in white
without the orange colour wash – people may not realise that public access is allowed (outside live
firing times). The text on the map may go some way to overcoming this - it states
Access may be restricted
For information visit
www.mod.uk/access or tel: 0800 458 4868
However, this is likely to cause some confusion for visitors. - The new OS maps will show the boundaries of the three military Ranges by using inward facing arrows. The previous OS maps did not show the internal boundaries between the different Ranges, so with the new maps it will be easier to see which Range a place is in, and therefore whether it is affected by live firing closures.
- Most areas of excepted land (see Information Sheet 4 on Excepted Land) will be shown with the orange colour wash even though there is no right of access there (some military land is an exception to this, which is why the Dartmoor Ranges do not have the orange colour wash).
Reference maps being produced for the Dartmoor National Park Information Centres should overcome some of these problems with OS mapping.
They will show:-
- different types of access land (CRoW Act, Dartmoor Commons and access agreement)
- some access points
- permitted footpaths which link to access land.
These maps will be updated as more access points are installed and permitted linking paths are negotiated. However, please remember that these maps will not identify excepted land within each access area, and they will not show restrictions other than long term restrictions such as the West Dart River valley dog restriction.
Return to the Open Access page.
Page updated 21 November 2005
