Rights of Way and Access - OS 25K map symbols

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Note: this article is being amended as the Ordnance Survey key has been reorganised to have separate sections for access in Scotland.

This is one of a series of articles which give photographs of features on the ground which have standard symbols on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, and also show the symbol. See OS 25K map symbols for introduction to the series, and links to other articles in it. Ordnance Survey have told us that although the symbols are copyright they allow them to be copied without charge or specific licence .

Click on a photo thumbnail to see a page with a larger photo, and other photo details. The photo page also has a section of the 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map; click on that map to see an Ordnance Survey section of 1:25,000 scale map. The last column has a direct link to that section of map (depending on browser, you may need back button to return to article).

Rights of way and other public access route symbols on 25K maps have different colours from those used on 50 K maps, see Rights of way and access symbols on 50K maps for our examples of the latter. The 25K map for England and Wales has symbols for public access land. For Scotland there are symbols for other public access land.

Public Rights of Way

Description	Symbol	Photo	Map link and notes
Footpath			Map link The footpath runs North-south. A bridleway crosses it running near East-west
Bridleway			Map link
Byway open to all traffic			Map link
Restricted byway			Map link

Other Public Access

Description	Symbol	Photo	Map link and notes
Other route with public access			Map link
Recreational route			The name of a route appears at intervals beside the route
Recreational Route (alternative route)	Symbol to be added - open diamonds	Example to be added
National Trail (England and Wales)			A national trail can have an acorn symbol beside it Map link
Permissive footpath			Map link
Permissive bridleway			Map link
Traffic-free cycle route			Map link
National cycle network route number - traffic-free			Map link
National cycle network route number - on road			Map link
Danger Area			Map link; this link shows words on the map, the next shows boundary on the map.
Danger Area boundary			Map link
Managed Access land in MOD area			Link to Map; the map also has the web address www. access.mod.uk www.access.mod.uk. Choosing "Midlands" from this gives as one choice Leek and Upper Hulme which gives information about the managed access in this area.

Access Land (England and Wales)

Access information point			Map link
Access land boundary and tint			Map link
Access land in woodland area - conifers			Map link; the symbols column has a map extract showing an area of conifer woodland with access. Symbols for conifer, deciduous, coppice or a mixture can be shown within an access land boundary.
Access land in woodland area			Map link; the symbols column has the tint as shown in the key to the map. The map example shows deciduous trees in an access area.|
Access land in woodland area - coppice			Map link; the symbols column has a map example showing all three types of woodland symbol in a small area of access within an area of non-access woodland.
Ordinary woodland areas (to compare tint with above)			Ordinary woodland; the three sets of symbols are conifers at the top, then deciduous, then coppice. The example has deciduous trees with no access on the left, with access on the right Link to Map
Access land within sand	Symbol to be added	Example to be added
Coastal margin			Map link; See pdf page OS key to 25K map symbols for information about access. Only limited areas of the England Coast Path have been added to the online maps - parts in Dorset, Durham, Cumbria and Norfolk first.

Public Access (Scotland

The symbols for Recreational Route, Alternative to Recreational Route, Traffic-free cycle route and cycle route numbers are as shown for "Other Public Access" above.

Description	Symbol	Photo	Map link and notes
Scotland's Great Trails			A Great trail can have a thistle symbol beside it Map link
Boundary of specified access area			Map link The purple line symbol as used around Forestry Commission and similar access land is not shown separately on the key, but is shown around the appropriate symbols as below.
National Trust for Scotland always open			Map link; on this and next four items, there is a symbol to show the organisation, and a purple boundary line to show the extent of the access area.
National Trust for Scotland limited opening			Map link
Forestry Commission Land			Map link
Forestry Commission Land - boundary			Map link
Woodland Trust Land			Map link

Map symbol images are Crown Copyright

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