Ordnance Survey
April 2026
- Brief lettersVanessa’s a pillar of the hiking community
Campaigners seek listed status for historic trig points that mapped Britain
May 2025
Those who prefer a map to an app abound in the age of GPS
Letters: Readers respond to a piece by John Harris on how we are increasingly leaving navigation to our phones
April 2025
We now leave navigation to our phones. The result: more of us are getting hopelessly lost
John HarrisSocial media and map apps blamed for record rise in mountain rescue callouts
May 2024
Mayday Stinky Bay: places’ nicknames added to UK database to help rescuers
Ordnance Survey’s Vernacular Names Tool contains unofficial names – many created by local people – of 9,000 locations
August 2023
Waymarks are important for all of us to enjoy the wild
Letters: Hiking should not be the exclusive preserve of a privileged few, says Aled Owen, while Pete Stockwell points out how moving cairns can be dangerous. Plus a letter from Austen Lynch
June 2023
Britain’s 10 most popular walks – according to the OS map app
Ordnance Survey reveals the hikes most enjoyed by the British public over the past 12 months, according to its app
February 2023
Signs of the times: Ordnance Survey to consult on new map symbols
Mapmaker suggests symbols could be added for bike repair shops, dog waste bins or river access points
January 2023
Chartbuster: cyclist rides 7,000 miles across every Ordnance Survey map
Mark Wedgwood traverses territory covered by every one of the 204 Landrangers and says none of his trousers fit any more
October 2022
Six of the best city walks in Britain, chosen by Ordnance Survey map users
From Cardiff to Edinburgh, here are OS users’ favourite urban and countryside rambles. Just download the app and you’re on your way
August 2022
The Ordnance Survey map change that put horse riders in danger
Letter: The OS decision that bridleways were obsolete is a typical example of discrimination against riders, says Catriona Cook
July 2022
Three-quarters of UK adults can’t read a map – here’s how to get better
A study by Ordnance Survey to coincide with National Map Reading Week paints a sorry picture of our navigation skills. But there are ways to improve …
February 2021
UK's Ordnance Survey to launch mapping app in Australia
- Brief lettersIt’s wrong to talk of schools reopening
November 2020
‘Understanding a map creates a new sort of relationship with the outdoors’
Nick GilesSales of Ordnance Survey’s maps and adventure apps have soared this year, as people reconnect with the beauty and history on their doorstep
September 2019
- Country diaryCountry diary: an old map provides new insightSandy, Bedfordshire: This single field illustrates one of the greatest mapmaking achievements of the pre-digital age
April 2019
Of course the Victorians walked faster. They didn’t have Instagram and map apps
Ed JeffersonOrdnance Survey is recalculating how long it takes modern walkers to complete routes, says Ed Jefferson, who writes about pop culture and history
March 2019
Securing a future for humanities: the clue is in the name
Letters: Prof Joe Smith, director of the Royal Geographical Society, Prof Sir David Cannadine, president of the British Academy, and Prof Norman Gowar respond to a Guardian editorial
November 2018
- Brief lettersDon’t fear the reaper, it’s a waste of timeLetters: OS merchandise | Death advice | Sitwell siblings | Lewes bonfire | Banknote design