Hampshire’s Ordnance Survey shares most requested map symbols

Published by

Daniel Face

Ordnance Survey has revealed the top four new symbols people would most like to see added to their maps.

Headquartered in Southampton, the mapping agency found across more than 2,400 responses that gate and stile fence crossings were the most popular missing feature.

Among the other top requests were village and farm shops, cafés and restaurants, and open water access points.

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Nick Giles, Managing Director of Ordnance Survey Leisure, said: “The work that we’ve been doing is trying to understand the symbols that will help people – particularly in our leisure mapping – to get outside more often.

“We’re trying to get an understanding of what really important symbols would help people have a better time outdoors.”

If implemented, the new symbols would appear on OS Explorer and OS Landranger paper maps, as well as the OS Maps mobile app. They would join other recent additions to the OS Tour Map like public toilets, art galleries, solar farms and kite surfing locations.

Nick and the team found through their research that paths, tracks, cycle lanes, roads and height information were the most important features for leisure users.

Ordnance Survey also maintains the National Geographic Database, which it updates more than 20,000 times a day to help support its mapping data for both leisure and business services.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.