Today is Read a Road Map Day

“The road goes every onward”, but where does the road in fact go? We could always ask our handy-dandy GPS, but Read A Road Map Day a day dedicated to going back before the time of such handy little devices. Instead it heralds back to a time when it was actually possible to hold a road map upside down, or stand over the bonnet of your car on the side of the road with it spread out. The map represented adventure, it represented places unseen and roads untraveled, and was the ultimate guide back to where we started. If we could find out where we were on it.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that you actually use that map to travel anywhere

We tend to use a map and sat-nav these days, especially in the motorhome, because some of the short-cuts that the sat-nav takes are a bit dubious at times.

 

People still get lost , Betty is my map reader or sat nag

 

We've all got plenty of time to do that this year.

 

I don't have a satnav.
So obviously always used maps, generally Michelin except OS for rambling information and the environment. Their guides are very good as well.
Some Michelin maps have campsites marked which is useful for touring, especially France, Italy Spain etc. Some sites can be pretty basic and municipal which could make for some interesting comment.

 

On the first OS maps of early 18oo there were just as many tracks and roads as today ..if not more .
All be it of much less standard . It was the hugh amount of track roads that are evident on the old OS maps usually interconnecting farm land in particular .
If you buy a cassini 1830 ..40's OS map of your area which you will be familiar with and compare it with the new maps , as the numbers match the landranger series .
A lot of the old track ways of coarse are rights of way ..but usually foot only .

You have to remember that in the early 1800's it was just horse and cart traffic ...so in effect 4x4 capability ..no need to stick to main road when it was quicker to go cross country with a wagon load of corn to the local corn mills .

 

So do I , so much i collected the whole 204 os maps . Took me ages as there not cheap , it was birthday and Christmas presents for years to help me collect the lot .

 

Love maps

National library of Scotland is a great online resource for old maps.
https://maps.nls.uk/

Just some of my collection. Phillips county maps are very handy.

 

Some of the up to date silver back maps are sold quite cheap on ebay ...good quality used ones .

 

Just sat looking at map and booked a week in Lyme Regis at August Bank holiday....positive mind set....but Caravan club site, so no deposit required.

 

Love tracing the routes of abandoned railway lines on maps.

 

I have some of those green OS Pathfinder maps you have there

 

My kids are still amazed that we drove all the way to South of France and Northern Italy without a sat nav back in 1981

 

Yeah, we used our brains in those days.

 

I do that sort of thing, which is why I like Maps NLS they are overlaid on Google Earth and you can change the transparency to see what it looks like now. Handy for finding old mine entrances as well.

 

I've still got my well-creased Michelin maps from my hitch hiking days Why does nobody hitch any more?