OS map Grid Refs gone!!

As Ian and Nicola we also provide Lat / Long on our website. We did not however send it out in our pre-arrival emails, which we will now do also, thanks for the tip!

John
NEWTON GROVE, Barford Road, South Newington, BANBURY, OX15 4LN
W: https://newtongrove.co.uk
E: newton.grove@btconnect.com
P: 07722 918265
Caravan & Motorhome Club Site Directory 2018/19 no: 1232 (p431)
Map coordinates of pitching area are: (lon.) 51.99806, (lat.) -1.403697  SP 441041 232984

Good for you and Nicola, Johnny. Wonder how many other Cl owners will read this and and do likewise?

Reboot!!

When it comes to club sites and indeed CLs, I tend to look them up on google maps then switch to 'satellite view' in order to see the lie of the land locally and, indeed, to within say 3 miles or so.

I understand that some might want to relate a grid. ref.to an OS map, to pinpoint the site precisely, but as most complainants have done so on their laptop/phone etc.,( on this discussion) then surely they ought to be capable of doing so by the above mentioned method?

For me OS grid references are a bit of an anachronism, even though I was brought up on them!

But having an OS map gives so much more information about what is in the area than you can get online (unless you have OS Maps online and downloaded the one for the area you are visiting). Contour lines showing how hilly a place is is just one good example. You can't see hills on Google Earth.

In many rural places reception on mobile devices is still pretty much non-existent. We've found many, many out of the way places that we would never have found otherwise thanks to OS maps. 

Personally like redface I use Google to locate sites, usually using the postcode and description, along with the satellite view / street view.

However, I do wonder what research they conducted re the removal of OS references. I would think, even with sat navs, more will use the post code than the Lat / Long, which is still shown. Even with a remote Scottish CL we have used, the post code will get you there.

The OS references were there, they took up little room and their maintenance was just calculating ones for new CL's / sites. Hardly an onerous task. I would suggest it was more of a tidying up exercise than space. Perhaps they though we would be confused by the array of numbers.😂

You can't see hills on Google Earth.

Although fairly limited and only particularly effective in hilly areas, there is a terrain function in Google maps. If you get the zoom level right there are even some contours. 

An OS map however is 100% better at showing relief.😀

We have been told that the OS grid refs are on the web pages of each CL. They are, but I've just looked  at a new one and and it's oh so wrong. Instead of the site being near Welshpool the grid reference is for a point east of Chuch Stretton, not a lot of use if looking for the site!!

Had a go at using OS locations no problem, we used to use them when we were letter boxing around Dartmoor, also tried using them on our first trip with the caravan, no SAT NAV back then.

In 2005 we set off to Whitwell Farm CL near Seaton (very nice CL) and on route to this CL when using the Clubs OS and or post code details we drove right past the CL sign (more or less over grown with grass), no real issue with the grass as hedges tend to grow.

Reading this post I had a quick look at the Club details relating to this CL again and still the details whether OS, GPS or post code does not result any great accuracy, almost but when your in a lane with the caravan almost is not ideal.

Can the Club arrange during CL site inspections for the actual GPS CL site location (entrance) details to be updated ? easy thing to do given that most people have smart phones.

Or allow Club members to update the GPS details on to the Clubs web page.

OS not completely bad but for me GPS is much better in terms of accuracy.

And !!  the actual GPS location for Whitwell Farm CL 

is 50.732653, -3.097348  place this into Google maps,  the  published OS SY227932 = GPS 50.732694,-3.095453 place this into Google maps also, these locations are about a mile apart !!