The Dartmoor OS map is a constant source of amusement to me and of amazement to our hotel guests who have not walked on Dartmoor before. I tell them that most of the footpaths shown on the map don’t exist and that most of the footpaths that do exist are not shown on the map! They also expect that where a bridleway crosses a river, there will be a bridge – how quaint! I have walked all over the UK and there is nowhere else like Dartmoor, which for me makes it magic.
Those of you who have completed my Walk on the Wild Side or Heads of the Rivers Trek series, will know that I completely ignore paths. My route normally consists of straight lines drawn on the OS map with a compass bearing – and then I walk it! I know that many people are not prepared to walk in that way, but it does wonders to improve your map and compass skills, especially if you don’t bother to look at your gps until you get close to a cache.
For those of you who need to see a path, the best source of information is Google Earth, which shows every little track that exists, although mapping it onto an OS map is far from easy. However, I do agree with MP that a source of accurate paths mapped onto an OS map would be useful.
