As some of you are aware, I often do 'random' walks and trips around various parts of the UK, usually around the midlands and the Peak District. All of the more recent walks etc are logged (on to my own website - this is not an advert for that); however in preparing my walks and trips I usually end up making a number of maps to sites of mines, soughs and lines of veins etc.

The process of going for 'a simple' walk in the countryside often involves a fair bit of planning - I am sure I'm not the only one; and yes I know they are guide books etc (but they don't always show everything). The process for this is usually:
1. Looking through some of the books and maps to get an area.
2. Plotting some possible sites and features on to map.
3. Determining a possible route for a walk to take in these features.
4. Using a number of sources (including OS maps, books etc) to plot other mines and veins etc in the area; this is usually done on an old OS backdrop
5. Transposing this information on to a detailed modern map - I find it easier using the old maps 1st.
6. Doing the walk and recording any finds along the way.
7. Sorting through the 100's of photos
8. Determining any possibly names for features found.
9. Uploading the photos.
10. Writing up a visit log.

I thought I would upload some of my maps then I have made. The 1st is a map compiled for my most recent Youlgreave area trip (8MB). The 2nd is a working map for a future Matlock area visit.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/Personal-Album-176/Youlgreave-Area-Veins-and-Mines-On-OS1922-All-sources.pdf 

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Personal-Album-176-Image-93039/ 


Is this approach typical of other folks? Or any of you do it any differently?

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Yep, I use similar methods and include a fair bit of satellite imagery and sites like 'Britain From Above' etc.
Also use Streetview if any features can be seen from a road.

I like this Youlgreave map Lee, It's an area I like to walk over & have done many a time, did not realise there was so many shafts/levels .

Good work, must have taken you some time to compile all the info. :thumbup:

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Streetview and aerial imagary are very useful.

There is probably more (unrecorded) to go on the Youlgreave map and someone is bound to point out any errors. Luckily there is Jims book for the area, but it takes a while drawing up the map etc.

I am planning a 'small' project to do a lot more maps of the areas. The next set I am hoping to be doing over the next couple of weeks is for the area between Chelmorton and Rowsley.
I might also put the info for each map on to a Bing map - gives the OS maps and aerial views.

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I have Google Earth on my phone, with GPS-ish. That's quite useful too, especially for very light linear features.

Nice maps Lee

I prepare maps using GoogleEarth KML and use a Garmin Oregon GPS and recently a camera with a built in GPS.

GoogleEarth gives a basic editing capability which allows me to register image overlays for old maps and underground surveys. I also position the gps trace and icons with links to photos onto the map.

Here is an example which shows how the route of the walk can be used to index into the photo collection.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=77D1594ED8806127%2127821 

I like to take surface walks in an area to locate entrances and to see what can be seen. Initially this was because most of my underground trips are in the evening and just finding an entrance can be difficult.

I also use Garmin basecamp which provides a good means of downloading and organising information for the GPS. Sadly they do not make it easy to export to KML.

The camera with the built in GPS is still being worked into my procedure. It is not as accurate as the Garmin GPS on sloping ground and gets lost in wooded areas whereas the walking GPS does much better. I have experimented with
picassa3 from for generating kml but there are other free tools that do similar. I have yet another coding project generating my own.

I have two mapping projects - one marking quarry related surface features aroud the old corsham tramways and another where I have registered quarry graffiti onto a quarry survey kml overlay. Always the popups link into the photos.

So the KML maps become ends in themselves.

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I have tried various maps on my phone including one with OS maps and google aerial. I had mixed results - worked fine when out in the open and good gps. However, not so good in woodland areas.
I also use MapMyRun to trace routes walked, although this can be a bit out.
I also used to have an app to give me a grid reference (as national grid).

I also tend to upload the maps to my phone which I find useful, especially the google aerial - and this method doesn't rely on gps and internet signal - although you need to work out where you are.

I have recently discovered a gps locator thing on my phone camera - not tried it yet; although I prefer to use my camera for photos. But the phone could be useful.

Most of the time I can map read to a good deal of accuracy, although they are a few instances where it is more difficult.

We should be getting some new iPhones for work, hopefully with a few maps and gps tools. I'm looking forward to testing it out and the photos should be reasonable quality as well.

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Hi LeeW, Hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty of map tiling your Youlgreave map and overlay it on Google. This approach is different from kml/kmz files in so much as Google cache those type of files before they serve them.

This method also tries to match the old OS projection with Google. The more identifiable way points I enter the better the overlay. As you can see it's a little out towards the SW of the overlay, otherwise not too bad.

http://www.toadstone.com/pdmhs/youlgreave_map/ 

Don't forget the transparency slider at the top right.

Cheers, Peter

Peter,

That's nice.
I often use a GIS package to overlay various OS maps and aerial maps to check certain features (e.g. buildings).
On some (rareish) occasions I create specific maps of mines/veins etc, usually in Bing - so I get the OS 25k map. Oddly I had done the Youlgreave walk map
http://binged.it/MFwnBN 

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A small correction for the Yolugreave map Lee - just south of Kirkmeadow shaft, you've got a vein marked as Arnos? Croft Vein, that should be Amos Croft Vein and the shaft adjacent to the road up to Stanton is Amos Croft Shaft. :flowers:

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That's good too LeeW. You can add the OpenSpace OS mapping to the Google version, as well as using your smart phone to give your position. I've done them separately but might have a go at combining the lot together.

Cheers, P

Adam,

They are probably some more correction needed to it.
I have changed it to Amos. I also have it as Amos Cross and not Croft. The name is taken from the Wheatcroft? Plan

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I'll have a look in the Thornhill book when I get home, but I think the vein is variously called Amos Cross and Amos Croft and if so either could be right!

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The 1823 Stanton Estate plan reproduced in the Thornhill book has it as Amos Cross. :thumbup:

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