Navigation in lowland countryside

Some members of this forum seem to assume that hillwalking is the only type of walking that is worthy of serious consideration, and that navigation in lowland countryside is easy. I believe that neither assumption is correct. I can never make up my mind whether the Lake District or the Cornish Coast Path is the more stunningly beautiful. Scenery can be enjoyed for many reasons. I readily acknowledge that the mountain scenery of Scotland is incomparable, nevertheless I prefer to walk in England where the evidence of the way that the hand of man has shaped the landscape is more obvious.

In the course of a long life I have walked extensively in mainland Great Britain and am convinced that accurate navigation in the lowland regions of England and Wales is more demanding than in upland areas given reasonable weather conditions. Despite this, navigation in lowland areas tends to be overlooked in manuals of instruction. A recent publication that has received glowing reviews states that contours are the most important navigation feature. Not so in lowland countryside where in places such as the Fens, Romney Marsh and Somerset Levels they can be completely lacking. Generally speaking, the single most important feature is the field boundary (hedge, wall, or fence) and you navigate along a path from field to field via stiles, gates and gaps. There is relatively little access in lowland England so if you leave the line of the right of way you are usually trespassing.

In many parts of lowland England, the path network is extensive and dense. For example, some of the rural civil parishes near Buckingham have as many as fourteen numbered rights of way (i.e, fourteen path junctions) and an average of more than six miles of public paths per parish. Walkers exploring areas like this have to keep a close eye on their map!

Navigation in honeypot areas can be especially difficult because there are so many paths some of which are not marked on the map. It is not unusual to come across a junction of half a dozen paths which, on a standard square-sectioned waymark post can make the accurate depiction of the direction in which the paths run difficult to determine.

Hugh

I deliberately avoided the discussions re navigation on the "whiteout" thread because it had drifted so far from the OP's question but this seems to a better place for my comments. I have, over the last 30 years, walked in all sorts of terrain but increasingly find myself drawn to lowland walks through fairly unfrequented areas around my North Yorkshire home. I would definitely agree that navigation on these walks is far more involved than that needed for most of the mainstream Hillwalking areas in England or the more popular parts of Scotland.
I always carry a map on the Hill but rarely find that I need to use it because the routes generally follow obvious features such as ridges and the paths are usually well worn. On the other hand paths that cross farmland and forestry are often not visible on the ground at all and it can be difficult to find stiles and gates which are hidden in undergrowth or in a state of disrepair. For these walks I generally carry A4 prints of sections of OS maps (usually from "Where's the Path) with separate pages for awkward stretches. This is much easier than messing about with full sized maps and can be annotated to your hearts desire. Good navigation is important on these routes as you are very unlikely to come across other walkers who can set you straight if you lose the way.

Low level navigation amazingly annoying yes.

Compared to the possible consequences of being stuck up a major mountain in a whiteout though?

I made the same comment when preparing to help with DofE exercises; commenting on my recent trips to Scotland, someone said I was over-qualified to help with DofE. Not so, I said; lowland navigation is often harder than upland navigation, due to more complicated man-made features, woodland, etc. Navigation in upland areas often involves looking for the pointy thing, and heading for it...

Having been reading Wally Keay's DofE Navigation book again recently, I notice that he says exactly the same thing. I also notice that he says that grid refs are of little or no use for actually navigating, even if they are useful to communicate your route or position; exactly the comment I made on the micronavigation forum recently...

Martin

<Low level navigation amazingly annoying yes.

Compared to the possible consequences of being stuck up a major mountain in a whiteout though>

I thought that I'd made it clear in my post that I was comparing the difficulty of navigating in lowland countryside with navigating in upland areas in good conditions.

Hugh

I'd definitely agree with the sentiments expressed so far. What also contributes to the difficulty in lowland areas are the (seemingly more common nowadays) path diversions, which don't always have adequate signage.

I've been involved with DoE for years and years - and have long held the view that navigation at Bronze level in areas exactly as Hugh suggests is easily the most difficult. Foot path diversions, fences coming down and being moved, fences going up and being moved, houses being demolished (more common these days, farm steadings converting into multiple dwellings )- so difficult and yet, apparently for those who think so...so easy!

Well maybe but you were also wondering why people didn't consider low level navigation worthy of serious consideration

Nothing to do with its objective difficulty of course! Its just that when the consequences of a mistake are mild irritation it simply isn't a serious matter.

Thus it gets discussed fairly little. Actually with some of it like path diversions in farmland, or some stuff you can meet when crossing cities like housing estates, I'm not sure if there is any advice which would help terribly much.

Really though I do much prefer bleak, open moorland where I can just charge off in the relevant direction

Navigation in upland areas often involves looking for the pointy thing, and heading for it...

Corollary for when visibility is too poor for much looking is "Yazz Navigation[1]".  If you're aiming for a summit and any of the ground around you is uphill from you then you're not there yet...

One reason Orienteering is such a good navigation workout is you go to a lot of places that you'd never be looking for on a "normal" hill-walk.  It is quite deliberately contrived as a navigational challenge so you get lots of practice at lots of different techniques.  Some oriebteering is even based in city centres, distancing one pretty clearly from upland navigation.

Pete.

[1] i.e., the only way is up

I think both have their merits.

I love heading high and off piste (TBH, in my view many footpaths follow the line of least interest, if the line of least resistance), but also enjoy getting stuck into the micronavigation challenges of lowland paths.

LOwland error of minor cosequence? Ever had to ring SWMBO to ask her to come and get you as you took a wrong turn and missed the last bus back to the start? Not minor consequence let me tell you

Martin Carpenter wrote (see)

Nothing to do with its objective difficulty of course! Its just that when the consequences of a mistake are mild irritation it simply isn't a serious matter.

 Whiteout's can happen in low level area's & habitation isn't always nearby or can be missed. 

Get an injury like a sprain or somesuch added to the frustration of trying to navigate & it can be a downward spiral to hyperthermia especially if you are on your own.  

"Nothing to do with its objective difficulty of course! Its just that when the consequences of a mistake are mild irritation it simply isn't a serious matter."

Personally I suspect (though I do not have any actual statistics) that Lowland navigation errors result in far more life threatening situations than those on Hills, particularly in coastal areas. Good route planning is essential when crossing tidal areas where the path can often be under water twice a day and sitting it out is definitely not an option. That said I understand completely why most people on this forum would consider the Hill environment to be the more hazardous even if this is not necessarily right. This thread is about navigation, however, and consequences are not really the issue.

There are easy places to navigate and hard ones.  There are rewarding places to walk and meh places to walk.  You can have either (and all shades in between) irrespective of altitude.

Pete.

Coastal/tidal areas clearly need real respect.

Mostly though you'd have to get things very wrong to even reach the stage of phoning some relative/family member out to fetch you. You'll be on some path/lane and close to whereever you're bound. Just not precisely in the right place and rather unsure how to get there.

(Rural lowland areas this, not 'proper' upland valleys.).

Mind you if we're talking about hazards, walking on narrowish country lanes certainly isn't an entirely safe activity!

Martin Carpenter wrote (see)

Coastal/tidal areas clearly need real respect.

That's very true of where I live, less than an hour's walk from the tidal channels and quicksands of Morecambe Bay.

I also live at the start of the Cumbria Way, which is essentially a lowland route, despite the two short forays it makes into the fells. The start point is in a town, and that's the first place where people go wrong. When they walk past my house, it's an instant FAIL, because the Cumbria Way starts on the next street to me. I'm currently working on a Cumbria Way guidebook, so I'm on a state of high alert when I see people leaving town in that direction. This morning, three guys set off, followed by a couple, followed by a foursome. I tagged on behind as an observer. The three guys overshot the very first stile and went marching up a road completely oblivious to what they'd done. I can't say I'd be too hopeful for the rest of their trek!

A couple of days ago, on the other hand, as I was following the Cumbria Way home, I came across a family crossing a field, around 3.30pm. Clearly, they were walking the Cumbria Way, judging by their packs, but surely they weren't intending to reach Coniston, some six hours ahead? Nope, it turned out they knew exactly what they were doing, and they'd studied their maps, and despite never having been in the area before, they told me where they'd be wild-camping that night. Some folks get it right!

>I am....convinced that accurate navigation in the lowland regions of England and Wales is more demanding than in upland areas given reasonable weather conditions.

Interesting post, and one that I agree with whole heartedly. Most of my walking is done at low level in places such as the New Forest. (the mountains are at the opposite end of the country to me!). It places a real demand on concentration to avoid missing a small turning in the path and without any real landmarks to head to, I often need to take a bearing and use pacings. When I was on a trip to the Lakes with some friends, navigation was only ever an issue when we came down from the hills into the network of small fields and overgrown paths.

I certainly notice more OS errors (paths/boundary walls, etc, marked inaccurately or missed) when low level walking than when on the fells.

Paths are marked accurately. They move about from common usage. Common usage ways aren't marked because they aren't official paths (right of way)

Lines on maps are boundaries which may, or not, be delineated by a wall or fence. Leith Hill in Surrey has many boundaries very few of which are physically separated. A row of trees, bushes, ditch, different vegetation may be the only evidence of said boundary. It's something you learn to look out for - the lie of the land, and what's growing on it, provide essential clues.

Similarly, there are numerous paths that are not shown on the map. It makes finding your way around that more interesting.

And of course boundaries change when land is bought and sold and as far as we are concerned that aspect doesn't really matter.

Common usage ways aren't marked because they aren't official paths (right of way)

They are marked, in black.  That's every path on the map up here in Scotland.

If you get lost, why not simply pop into a cafe and ask for directions?

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