National Byway
An international cycling map created from OSM data is available, provided by Andy Allan. The map rendering is still being improved, the data are updated every few days. It shows National Cycle Network cycle routes, other regional and local routes, and other cycling-specific features, such as:
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| CyclOSM A free cycle-oriented map with more features than OpenCycleMap. See its wiki page CyclOSM. |
| Waymarked Trails: Cycling by Sarah Hoffman is a layer superimposed over mapnik (Standard Map Layer) which shows marked cycle routes around the world. Updated minutely, it renders actual routes without the state=proposed tag. Therefore no proposed routes (or proposed numbering protocols) are displayed. |
The National Byway (Wikipedia) is a signed, de facto leisure cycling route in the United Kingdom, mostly along quiet lanes and avoiding cities. As of April 2011, no Internet mapping of the National Byway was available, only an (as yet incomplete) set of paper maps. This is therefore a great opportunity for OpenStreetMap to provide such a map.
Tagging
The ways which make up the National Byway should be tagged using relations. Do not tag the ways directly.
There is one or more route relation for each region of the National Byway, and a separate relation for each signed loop. The size of each relation is currently restricted by what can reasonably be worked with - initially the National Byway was created a a single relation for the UK, but that soon became too large to manage.
Each route relation should be tagged as:
| Tag | Comment |
|---|---|
| type=route | |
| route=bicycle | |
| network=rcn | |
| ref=NB | Will display as a route label on the CycleMap. |
| name=National Byway (region) | Include the name of the National Byway region. |
| operator=National Byway |
Relation role
The National Byway is keen on loops and circular rides, and in many instances these are signed in one direction only, generally anti-clockwise to reduce the number of right turns in the loop. It's difficult to follow signs backwards, so it is important for cyclists that the one-way sections of the National Byway are tagged correctly. Where the National Byway is signed in one direction only, the ways in the relation should be assigned a role of forward or backward as described in Relation:route#Members. The direction is rendered on the OpenCycleMap at zoom level 14 and greater.
Other optional tags are listed at Cycle routes#Relations.
Historical note
An earlier proposal was to tag the National Byway as network=national_byway, in conjunction with specific rendering in the OpenCycleMap, which was never implemented. The current tagging as a set of regional cycle routes network=rcn is now preferred: see et seq. for the rationale.
Progress
One can see the 'outline map' at the National Byway website: .
Relation'd sections
Sections that have been mapped already include:
| Description (organised by National Byway region) | Relation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute | ||
| (none yet) | ||
| East of England | ||
| Cambridgeshire: South of Cambridge | 935883 935883 | marked on the development diagram (on the N.B. site) as 'being signed' |
| Near Ely | 975860 975860 | |
| East Midlands | ||
| Lincolnshire | 1425075 1425075 | very incomplete |
| Nottinghamshire | 1818743 1818743 | very incomplete |
| the Rutland area | 943883 943883 | large sections have been completed, but certain locales need attending-to |
| North-East England | ||
| County Durham and Northumberland | 1205886 1205886 | |
| section around Kielder Forest | ||
| North-West England | ||
| (none yet) | ||
| South-East and South-Central England | ||
| Oxfordshire and Glos—Northleach to Witney Dornford Lane (near Woodstock) to Buckinghamshire border | 1251898 1251898 | |
| Buckinghamshire | 1251894 1251894 | |
| Bedfordshire | 1251895 1251895 | |
| South-West England | ||
Several disconnected sections:
|
1206000 1206000 | |
| South-West Scotland | ||
| the Solway Firth area | 943956 943956 | |
| West Midlands | ||
| Shropshire | 943940 943940 | relation'd between Attingham Park and the southern outskirts of Whitchurch |
| Shropshire: Shrewsbury to Leominster, then… — | 943913 943913 | |
| Herefordshire: …towards (and slightly beyond) Ledbury — | 943894 943894 | |
| West Herefordshire: route to Wales | 2553508 2553508 | Link route and the Herefordshire section of the Radnor Ring |
| Yorkshire | ||
| from Humber Bridge to the northern end of the Yorkshire region at Barnard Castle | 9327 9327 | |
Loops
To tag National Byway loops, create a new relation with the tags as above, and use the name of the loop, e.g. name=National Byway (Oakham Loop); consult this page on the National Byway site for a list of loops. Remember that loops are usually signed in one direction only.
Loops that have already been fully/partially mapped are as follows:
| Loop (organised by National Byway region) | Relation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | ||
| Retford Loop | ||
| Newark / Southwell Loop | 1425019 1425019 | |
| Grantham Loop | 2070390 2070390 | |
| Oakham Loop | 9333 9333 | |
| Oundle Loop | ||
| North-East England | ||
| Hexham Loop | 2052657 2052657 | |
| South-East and South-Central England | ||
| Bernwood Forest Loop | 34610 34610 | |
| South-West England | ||
| Charleton Horethorne(?) Loop | 1355711 1355711 | |
| Tisbury Loop | 1570469 1570469 | Perhaps some signs have been removed or turned round? The route is difficult to follow. |
| Winchester (East) Loop | 2947208 2947208 | complete |
| South-West Scotland | ||
| Dumfries Loop | ||
| Ayr Loop | ||
| Girvan Loop | ||
| West Midlands | ||
| Malpas Loop | ||
| Shrewsbury Loop | ||
| Much Wenlock Loop | ||
| Church Stretton Loop | 5522776 5522776 | |
| Ledbury Loop | 444340 444340 | complete |
| Winchcombe Loop | ||
| Yorkshire | ||
| Holderness Loop | 47904 47904 | There is a break in the loop where the road has been washed over a cliff but it is passable on foot. |
| Bridlington Loop | 225396 225396 | |
| Driffield Loop | ||
| Malton Loop | 177547 177547 | |
| Easingwold Loop | 158475 158475 | |
| Ripon Loop | 179064 179064 | Ripon is poorly mapped. |
| Bedale Loop | 179065 179065 | |