30 November 2007

A festive route around Britain

Britain’s motorists will have no excuse for getting lost this Christmas, thanks to the OS Travel Map – Route 2008.

Just published by Ordnance Survey, the newly revised map is big enough to show the entire British road network on just one double-sided sheet – so this year’s seasonal getaway should run smoother than ever.

The map, which folds small enough to fit into the glove compartment of a car, is the essential companion for planning journeys. “There are an enormous number of changes to the British landscape every year, so we make many amendments to each new edition of this map,” says Ordnance Survey’s Deborah Cable.

The whole map is at a scale of 1:625,000 (10 miles to 1 inch or 6.25 km to 1 cm), with all the roads appropriately colour coded to help route planning. Among the many road changes for this year are the A4146 Linslade Bypass, improvements to the A428 near Cambridge and the A851 Rugeley Bypass.

An index features around 6,500 place names, highlighted on the map, and there are also 11 separate urban navigation maps included to help motorists find their way through heavily  built up areas – such as Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

Included are full details of restricted motorway junctions, a route-planning grid to check mileages between almost 50 key towns and cities, and two further inset maps highlighting local authority areas. The locations of scenic areas and long-distance footpath routes are also included – as are many major tourist attractions around the country.

And newly added for this edition are special symbols to show World Heritage Sites – 22 of them in all.

“At this time of year, more than ever, people travel across the country to visit friends and relatives,” says Deborah Cable. “It’s easy to get grumpy during the festive season – if you get lost or stuck in traffic.

“Even for those with satellite navigation systems, having a handy paper map as back-up is vital. So, it’s an up-to-date, convenient and inexpensive way to plan long-distance routes wherever you are.”

The OS Travel Map – Route 2008 is available online at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/routemap  or at Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centres and most bookshops. And, at £4.99, it is also an ideal stocking filler.

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Head of Corporate Communications - Rob Andrews

Email: rob.andrews@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2265

Senior Communications & PR Officer - Paul Beauchamp

Email: paul.beauchamp@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2568

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