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Image above: Map of the South West used in an accommodation brochure
Image right: Google Map star properties belonging to Cornwall Wildlife Trust with directions & link to website
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1. Your location Competition is fierce; those who can communicate the best, win. Growth markets for tourism in the UK include visitors from USA, China and Australia. Good planning can attract these visitors who are willing to spend more per visit.
Show visitors how easy it is to get to you - notably a challenge in the rural economy! At Clear Mapping Company, we are experts in creating maps. Let us help you save time trying to explain the location of your property.
Top tip: When asking your website developer to locate your property in Google Maps, ask them to position the pointer over the entrance to your property. Literally point them in the correct direction!
2. Your property and local attractions
Image above: Visit Penryn Town Guide and Map Image left: National Trust priority visitor sites map including car parks
The UK’s obsession with the ‘staycation’ doesn’t seem to be diminishing with more people visiting places within the UK than ever before. In 2015 expenditure has increased by 24 per cent to £3.5 billion compared to 2014. Nearly half of accommodation providers and 56 per cent of attractions have reported experiencing an increase in visitors for the year to May 2015. You know more than your local tourist information centre and receive instant feedback from your visitors about what they are
interested in, what attractions they thought were fantastic and what they thought was good value for money. With a fantastic number of sporting, cultural and foodie events taking place across the country this summer and next, seize the opportunity to convey these events to your potential visitors.
Top tip: When you are promoting your area, why not team up with your local restaurant, taxi services or local pub? By promoting all your services in one go, you can share the cost of the map leaflet printing and support your local farmers and producers.
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Image above: Quality cartographic walking route depicted around Hougun Manor
Image above: Road and footpath directions to Hougun Manor near Coniston Water
3. Your property - directions Transport options for rural properties may be quite tricky. Long country roads, inconsistent road signage and similar named places can confuse your visitor, whether they are from abroad or the UK.
Image above: Directions and maps to Stubcroft Farm, West Sussex
Online maps usually show rural areas as vast areas of nothingness, when we know there is a lot going on in the countryside!
Fill in those gaps by creating your own detailed map of the local district, showing local car parks, bus & train services, bridleway and woodland walks in your area. Who can resist a beautiful map showing what your particular location has to offer?
Top tip: If you have issues with satellite navigation or with postcodes sending your visitors into a neighbour’s field, then you need a directional map for the last five miles. 7
Image above: Award-winning interpretation board for St Aubyn Estates. One of the locations used for filming the successful ‘Poldark’ TV series
4. Your property - footpaths
Image above: Stunning interpretation board on Porthgwarra Cove Café
The brief was to create a map for St Aubyn Estates to ensure visitors know which footpaths are available as part of the South West Coast path and which are restricted; as well as providing an opportunity to reveal the history and culture of the small fishing community in Porthgwarra. The area has certainly seen an influx of visitors since the filming of Poldark, as the 8.1 million viewers consider visiting this rural idyll. Clear Mapping Company worked closely with St Aubyn Estates to collate detailed information about the landscape in Porthgwarra.
For this interpretation board, we used both traditional and modern cartographic skills which were essential to creating a map in a beautiful style that complemented the rural location.
“ Caroline went to a lot of trouble to ensure our information panel was in line with our expectations for this very site specific commission.
We are very pleased with the result and would happily recommend Clear Mapping Company to other prospective customers.” Andrew Davey, St Aubyn Estates
We entered the ‘Poldark’s Country’ map (left) into the British Cartographic Society Ordnance Survey Open Data Awards in September 2015 and are extremely pleased to be acknowledged by our esteemed peers.
Top tip: Update your signage and interpretation boards during the winter. This gives you time to consider what could be improved and updated, before your visitors arrive.
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Image above: Making it easier to communicate your plans to the local community
Image above: Architect’s drawings
Image above: OS Open Data
Image above: Aerial photography
Image above: Watercolour map for visitors
5. Your property - planning consent We collated information from a variety of current and proposed drawings from architect and landscape architect. From this information we created maps that were then used to clarify the proposed work and to consult with the community. We also prepared artist impressions of the proposed accommodation to
show what the development would look like for potential investors. As part of the process we prepared a brand identity sheet to ensure consistency between online and offline branding, which we also used in creating the maps. Our clear maps and carefully scaled drawings succeeded
helping the client to win their planning permission. The client was so impressed that he commissioned a watercolour map of the golf course and facilities to go into their ‘Welcome Pack’, for every visitor to enjoy.
Top tip: Be prepared to answer very detailed questions about your planning proposal to your local community. Detailed maps of existing and proposed building works are essential to clarify any issues which may arise.
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Image above: Making it easier for visitors to get around your site; accessible maps as standard
6. Your property - accessibility When making plans about your property’s accessibility, consider the many different types of people who may come to visit.
Images above: Beautifully landscape accessible entrance to Penlee House with two different types of slopes behind the planting and steps with handrail.
Images left: Penlee Park and footpaths with highlighting accessible parking.
Making your property accessible means ensuring that everyone can access the property safely and with ease. The owners of Penlee Park, Penzance Town Council have put in various measures to ensure great accessibility around the park and to the house.
These maps were created with accessibility in mind including physical disability and visual impairment. We work hard to understand the best way for different people to access information and try to take all needs into
Top tip: Under the Equality Act (2010) your property must meet the needs of people with these protected characteristics.
consideration when working on our maps.
Visit England for their Access Statement Tool, available online at www.visitengland.com/biz
Clear, easy to read maps mean they are user friendly for everyone.
Check out the excellent
Clear Mapping Company makes sure that all our maps are accessible.
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Image left: Beautiful celebratory map for landowner, farmer and butcher in watercolour and pen & ink
7. Your property - bespoke services We love a challenge! Get in touch if you would like to do something innovative with your maps.
Or on a more practical level, maybe you would like a wipeable board of the whole estate?
Perhaps you are looking to combine them with a historic or cultural guide to your local area?
Perfect as a tool to use for planning land diversification and maximising your most valuable asset.
Perhaps you’re thinking about a commemorative map for your dining hall or estate office?
We specialise in bespoke maps in the rural economy and support clients in getting the maps that they want and the medium they require.
We can draw maps on vellum with strong emphasis on skilled calligraphy, made to
Image above: Wipeable magnetic board for strategic planning and land management
last and be passed down to future generations.
Top tip: Choose a member of the British Cartographic Society (BCS), whose work is appropriate for the project. As winners of the BCS Ordnance Survey Open Data Award 2015, we would love to work with you on your next map!
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Clear Mapping Company is an award-winning cartographic design consultancy, we create beautiful maps to improve efficiency in the workplace with an inclusive and sustainable design focus.
+44 (0)1326 337072 or hello@clearmapping.co.uk www.clearmapping.co.uk Clear Mapping Company, Waterside House, Falmouth Road, Penryn TR10 8BE
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