Wonderful site

Well, what a simply wonderful site to waste hours and hours on! www.geograph.org.uk

It's a bit too simplistic to say it consists of a lot of photos - yes it is a site containing a lot of photos - but the thing that makes it so very special, addictive and useful is that each photo is linked to at least a two-letter, four-number grid reference of OS mapping. Many photos are liked to six-number references and have little icons showing exactly where they were taken from and the direction of view. I can actually SEE the bridleways I plan to ride, the hills I need to climb and the roads I must, unfortunately, cross.

A weeks' exploration of Britain by geograph has already seen me change my planned route considerably in a couple of places and make a firm decision between alternatives in a few others.

I hope there are still some grid squares left for me to get a first geograph, this time next year! Even if there aren't, I'll still be adding to their site with photos taken as I ride along. Being on horseback does give one a different viewpoint - it's a bit like travelling around on a ladder, I suppose, as far as that goes!

One thing I have noticed on the site, though, is the number of photos categorised as footpaths when the OS map clearly shows them as bridleways. It just shows how deeply the lack of clarity and the misunderstanding about access pervades society nowadays.