Coastwise finds a way.....

......round the world of maps.

Local outdoor enthusiast and mapmaker Mike Harrison showed members how he produces his maps - yes, actually creates content overlaid with specialist software on a pre-copyright Ordnance Survey base.

His Croyde-based business (www.croydecycle.co.uk) produces an expanding range of large-sacle maps (i.e. a small area with a lot of detail) based on the coast of the South-West. Mike walks the land extensively, noting local features for addition to the map base.

He makes the point that a map is not a plan of the land, in that its features such as roads can't be to scale, otherwise it would not be readable not usable. It is, rather, something that conveys the right impression of the land.

Mike makes the point that the SW Coastal Path actaully misses a great deal of the coast, and that if the walker looks beyond it there is a great deal to see and explore.

His map series is working along the South Coast of Devon, and he's got as far East as Swanage.

If you use one of his maps, you can be confident that anything shown will be correct, because he's been there before you, on foot and with his tent !