Map Skills: Locating and Identifying UK Features

• River Severn: The UK's longest river; it begins in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales and flows south and west into the Bristol Channel.
• River Thames: The UK's second-longest river; it flows eastwards through the London Basin and into the North Sea.
• River Trent: A major river flowing north through the Midlands into the Humber Estuary.
• River Ouse: Drains the Vale of York in Northern England.
• River Tay: Scotland's longest river by discharge, located in the Highlands.
• River Spey: A fast-flowing river in the northeast of Scotland.

OS Map Skills: Grid References

Ordnance Survey (OS) maps use grid lines to help pinpoint locations of physical and human features. Eastings are vertical lines where numbers increase as you move east (left-to-right). Northings are horizontal lines where numbers increase as you move north (bottom-to-top).

• 4-figure grid reference: Identifies a $1\text{ km} \times 1\text{ km}$ square.
• 6-figure grid reference: Pinpoints a precise $100\text{ m} \times 100\text{ m}$ location by dividing the 4-figure square into tenths.

Step-by-Step Guide: Identifying Physical Features

To describe physical geography features on an OS map, analyze Relief and drainage:

1. Analyze the Relief: Look at the Contour Lines (brown lines). Tightly packed lines indicate steep land; widely spaced lines indicate flat or gently undulating land.
2. Determine Exact Elevation: Locate a Spot Height (black dot with a number) or a triangulation pillar (blue triangle) to find the altitude of peaks.
3. Identify Drainage Patterns:
   • In upland areas, look for V-shaped contours pointing uphill, which indicate steep-sided valleys and interlocking spurs.
   • In lowland areas, look for high sinuosity (tight meanders/curves) and wide floodplains with few contour lines near the river.

Step-by-Step Guide: Identifying Human Features

To describe human geography features (settlement and transport) on an OS map:

1. Classify Settlement Patterns:
   • Nucleated: Buildings clustered together, often around a church or crossroads.
   • Linear: Buildings arranged in a line along a road or valley floor.
   • Dispersed: Scattered buildings or farmhouses across the landscape.
2. Identify Transport Networks: Look for motorways (blue), primary A-roads (green), other A-roads (red), and B-roads (orange). Railways are shown as black dashed lines.
3. Determine Land Use: Use OS symbols and abbreviations like "Ind Est" (industrial estate) or "Sch" (school) to state the function of the land. Always cite specific map evidence in your description.