Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

General => General Chat => Topic started by: LandyLiam on January 06, 2011

Title: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on January 06, 2011
I got a new map today, well new to me  :) its a 1958 one-inch map of the mournes, not a lot has changed over the last 53 years although there are a few notable differences.

1. Spelga Dam is missing (dam was completed in 1957)
2. Meelmore is 2237 feet, which makes it 681 metres and there not one of the 7 7s
3. Slievenamuck is not where i thought it was (the summit is actually on the Slievenaman Road)
4. there are youth hostels at
a) near meelmore lodge
b) bloody bridge
c) entrance to silent valley
d) knockbarragh (west of kilbroney forest)

Unfortunately there are no tracks marked on it, would have been nice to see how they've changed, Batts Wall isn't even on it although the Mourne Wall is.

Apologies for all that, but i do like me maps  ;D
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: 666_pack on January 06, 2011
nice. any chance you get a scan uploaded? I like maps too.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LennyJ1 on January 06, 2011
nice. any chance you get a scan uploaded? I like maps too.

Ditto
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: suspectmonkey on January 06, 2011
Ohhh I'd be interested in having a snoop at that!  

Funny you mention Meelmore not actually being over 700m because the more recent maps I have all show it as being around the 680m mark.  This caught me out when I was planning a Seven Seven's route earlier in the year and couldn't actually find the 7th 700m+ summit!  I thought I was going mad (or blind!) :D  However, I remember reading that for the "Seven Seven's Challenge" all the heights are taken from the 1990 edition of the 1:25k map (see here (http://www.walkersassociation.ie/node/246)).  I wonder if it was a misprint, or just misinformation, that led to it being listed as over 700m for awhile... certainly it appears that earlier and later maps all show it as sub 700m.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: 666_pack on January 06, 2011
its all just clever marketing mate the  6,7's just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: suspectmonkey on January 06, 2011
its all just clever marketing mate the  6,7's just doesn't have the same ring to it.

That thought did cross my mind ;)

The Mourne 500's (http://mourne500.blogspot.com/p/about.html) has a nice ring to it though! :)
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: RedLeader on January 07, 2011
On my Maypx map Meelmore is 687.

I'd really love to see the map too, even just for the part missing Spelga.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: 666_pack on January 07, 2011
its all just clever marketing mate the  6,7's just doesn't have the same ring to it.

That thought did cross my mind ;)

The Mourne 500's (http://mourne500.blogspot.com/p/about.html) has a nice ring to it though! :)

oh hell yes. I'm doing that this year. Put that on the list mods.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on January 07, 2011
I'll get something loaded up today, however me and scanners don't get on well, and I don't want to crease the map as its in very good condition so probably easier to take a photo of it  ;D
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 07, 2011
If you can take a clatter of photos of it from the same distance I can stitch them together into one big pic. May not be perfect, but if you keep the distance and lighting constant should be ok.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: Kat on January 07, 2011
I love looking at old maps and making comparisons!  Would be fun planning a 1958 route...although maybe not so wise walking on water across Spelga!  ;D
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: RedLeader on January 07, 2011
Would we have to wear tweed?

I love looking at old maps and making comparisons!  Would be fun planning a 1958 route...although maybe not so wise walking on water across Spelga!  ;D
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: Kat on January 07, 2011
Of course ;D  I'm dusting off my deerstalker as we speak:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Sherlock_holmes_pipe_hat.jpg)
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on January 07, 2011
Quote
although maybe not so wise walking on water across Spelga!

not wise but i've done it, well it was ice not water, and it was only near the edge  ::)
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LennyJ1 on January 07, 2011
We should get a chat room put on here for when there are loads of us on like now,

Or is that to much 90's?
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on January 08, 2011
here's a wee shot of the Deers Meadow (now Spelga Dam)

the map is quite stiff and unused so hard to fold flat to get a good series of pics, when i get enough people round we'll stretch it out and get a good quality pic
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: RedLeader on January 08, 2011
Awesome, wonder where you can buy old maps like that?

Here's the recent one for comparison.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 08, 2011
Awesome, wonder where you can buy old maps like that?
It's not quite the same but the OSNI claim to sell "Historical Map Tiles (http://maps.osni.gov.uk/mapconsolehistoricalmaps.aspx)" in electronic (ECW (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECW_%28file_format%29)) format.

Unfortunately I find their 'Map console' useless to figure out if there are any Mourne maps in their archive, let alown the price.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on January 08, 2011
I got the map on ebay for a whopping £2.50 (including postage)  ;D

Daylight robbery as its original price was only 4 shillings ::) (that's 20p to you younguns)
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: Kat on January 08, 2011
Wow!!  That's a great price.  You've inspired in me an interest in old maps!  We really take for granted these days the level of detail on maps!  There are hardly any contour lines on the mountains in that pic.   :)
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 08, 2011
Unfortunately I find their 'Map console' useless to figure out if there are any Mourne maps in their archive, let alown the price.
OK, had another look at the OSNI's system. Looks like the trick is to zoom down as much as possible and then select a time period, then select all the tick boxes and see if anything displays. Then repeat for all Time Periods. If you find anything then click "Show Products" to see how big the map is that you are buying. And do it all in IE as FF doesn't display any of the tool tips)

I turned up a 6 inch to the mile map of the Mournes from between 1919 and 1938 priced at an exorbitant £25 :/ I suppose it's soo expensive because it would be easy for someone to convert to a usable format and post online , new link (140MB) (http://db.tt/ZA6vAxEq) ;).
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: Dowser on January 08, 2011
I turned up a 6 inch to the mile map of the Mournes from between 1919 and 1938

That's the map I've been using... Have Ordnance Survey released a more up to date one  ???
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on April 29, 2011
Driving by Spega Dam today and spotted the old road as the water level was so low.

went up Pigeon Rock for an aerial view
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/P1030204Small.jpg)


here's the view from bit of the old road which is normally above water
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/P1030197Small.jpg)


and zooming in we can see an old bridge there too
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/2011/P1030202Small.jpg)


if it stays dry a few more days i might see if i can walk across, would love to try driving the landy over  ;D

Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: Matthew on April 30, 2011
Wow that's class, dad told me there was a road down there but I was never sure. I'll have to go and tell him he was right.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: RedLeader on April 30, 2011
That's fascinating. I'd love to see this when the water was low.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: MG1 on May 02, 2011
Thats cool would like a wee look at that too.
Title: Re: 1958 map of the mournes
Post by: LandyLiam on April 07, 2012
back on the topic of historical mournes, i recently purchased a 1962 "guide to walking in the mournes" and here's an interesting snippet to show how times have changed in those 50 years

Quote
A word now about walking inside the boundary wall. Arrangements for this should be made and discussed with the Belfast Water Commissioners, as this is all their property. In any case, stop without fail if challenged by a guard, and don't descend to the reservoirs in a hurry or at dusk, as this may well arouse suspicion. Remember Ulster has a security problem, and the is Belfast's water supply.


I remember in the 90s being challenged by a guard at Silent Valley when on the grassy slope near the damn (the hill now frequented by families rolling easter eggs).  It was quite funny as the air-raid alarm also went off  :)

So be glad of our current freedom of the Mournes, while it lasts  8)