Information Sources

Practicalities Getting Organised Information Sources Maps 

If you are going to be venturing out on your own a good map is pretty much vital with children - just to minimise the time wasted wandering around in search of your target. Sources include the following.

Mapquest
A US orientated map site providing worldwide maps. Can be searched by street name though the maps themselves are not themselves very detailed. The site also offers US traffic reports, local US city guides, driving directions from city to city in the US and between postal codes in the UK.

Easymap
Free public access web site designed as a promotional and marketing tool but useful because easy to use, provides minor road and street coverage for the whole of Great Britain.

Google Maps
Technically probably still in beta, but a very useful free resource. Especially good at overlaying UK street maps onto aerial photographs which makes it ideal for locating places of interest.

Multi-Map
Detailed maps of Britain plus overview maps of the world. The site is reported to be growing by more than 15% a month. For the UK it offers the choice to search by place name, GB postcode, grid reference or London Street names. The world is searchable by typing in the town name and country. Viewers can then vary the scale, zoom in on a location, or move in any direction. Local web sites for the region are also listed. Travel directions for Great Britain are also available.
[NB Multimap has a facility to link to its maps, a useful resource for anyone setting up web sites that require location information.]

Ordnance Survey
Romsey Road, Maybush, Southampton, Hants SO16 4GU
tel: 023 8079 2912
Covers the organisation's digital and paper mapping in the various series and links to GPS sites, how to find grid references, and you can buy online.

Streetsahead Maps
Boundary House, 1 Sycamore Drive, Banbury, Oxon OX16 9HF
tel: 01295 264160
A patented system offering a sequence of four maps at increasing scale, a final map pinpointing the exact address based on a postcode, business name or location address. Tehre is a charge of £4.95 for 10 maps from the system.