How to use our maps
Our new interactive maps have been specially
designed to help you navigate easily through the many interesting
sites and features in Wales - whether it be open access land or a
special protected area - it's on the map. All of our maps have key
signs and symbols to help you identify these features, some even
have easy-to-follow online tutorials...
Countryside access map
The Countryside access map details all open
country - the wild moorlands, mountain, heath and down -
covered by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW)
Act. Whilst also including any 'common' land and
restricted land that's nevertheless open for exploring.
Get to know the key signs and symbols first, and then follow our
online tutorial. You'll soon be planning your countryside
adventure.
Protected areas map
The protected areas map records the true beauty of Wales,
highlighting our National Parks (NPs), National Nature Reserves
(NNRs) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The key signs are symbols you'll need to unlock the countries
land treasures are available. The online tutorial should be ready
in the next few weeks.
GIS boundary downloads
The GIS downloads are designed to allow registered
mapping professionals to download the digital boundary of our
Protected Sites for use in a Geographical Information System
(GIS).
Once registered, specialists may use the GIS data available
from this website, subject to the terms and conditions, which you
must read.
We've made some improvements to our boundaries catalogue,
to allow you to access and download specific GIS information with a
minimum of fuss.
Our final two maps, LANDMAP and our new regional maps, have not
yet finished their redevelopment - do look out for them later in
the year though.
LANDMAP
Wales has, through the National Assembly, a responsibility to
manage its land in a sustainable way. LANDMAP is the
national information system, devised by the Countryside Council for
Wales, for doing just that and taking landscape into account in
decision-making.
LANDMAP is a unique system, allowing information about
landscape to be gathered, organised and evaluated efficiently.
It covers both relatively objective information – such as
rock type and historical information – to more subjective
areas, such as cultural interpretation of the landscape.
Although the current LANDMAP has not yet been extensively
redesigned, we will be redeveloping the map later on in the
year.
Regional maps
Look out in June for our brand new regional maps - you'll be
surprised how much there is in your very own back-yard!