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<blockquote type="cite">OS is on record as accepting the traditional
convention</blockquote>
<br>
Still not convinced, I'm afraid.<br>
<br>
a) that's the view of a single blogger with a story to tell, not an
official OS position<br>
b) the exact wording is "...2,000ft is <b>generally regarded</b> as
the benchmark height in England and in Wales for when a hill is
promoted to the dizzying ranks of a mountain." (my emphasis)<br>
<br>
I don't deny that 2,000ft is often quoted (or "generally regarded")
as the benchmark for a mountain in the UK (although sometimes the
figure quoted 1,000ft, or sometimes 600m - for a "definitive" figure
it's strangely indefinite). What I'm denying is that the OS
recognises any such formal definition, and the blog, while
interesting (and the nearest I've seen to an official
acknowledgement), doesn't change that opinion. I think the rather
cautious wording is quietly acknowledging the somewhat mythological
nature of this widespread belief.<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">the government does define a mountain for
the purpose of open access and rights of way as being land above
600m:
</blockquote>
<br>
No it doesn't. It defines "mountainous areas" as over 600m. Not the
same thing. And 600m <> 2000ft.<br>
<br>
Dave<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 13/02/2024 14:23, Mark Goodge wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:b0bae84e-4284-4eac-ab4f-2e11c393b0b3@good-stuff.co.uk">
<br>
<br>
On 13/02/2024 13:32, Dave Dunford wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Definitions of "mountain" based on
elevation seem to be apocryphal, as far as I can tell. I've had
several debates on Wikipedia with people who claim that "the
Ordnance Survey defines anything over 2000ft as a mountain",
and otherwise reputable sources such as the BBC and the Guardian
repeat the same claim, but no-one can produce any official
expression of this convention in any OS publication. "The
Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain"
notwithstanding, I think it's a myth.
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
OS doesn't define mountains because OS doesn't define anything.
Like OSM, OS maps what is there and labels it according to what
other people call it, either canonically if there is an official
name or colloquially if not. But OS is on record as accepting the
traditional convention that a mountain in the UK starts at 2,000ft
(610m) and will therefore label it as such unless there is a
reason to do otherwise. See, for example, this (now archived) blog
post:
<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210211221249/https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2016/09/calf-top-englands-last-mountain/">https://web.archive.org/web/20210211221249/https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2016/09/calf-top-englands-last-mountain/</a>
<br>
<br>
More specifically, the government does define a mountain for the
purpose of open access and rights of way as being land above 600m:
<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/1">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/37/section/1</a>
<br>
<br>
But, apart from that one item of legislation, there's no official
definition of a mountain in the UK, and there are various
different definitions used by hillwalkers and climbers based on
different values for elevation and prominence. As far as OSM goes,
I think we should broadly stick with the convention followed by
OS, because it's well known and relatively uncontroversial. But
that doesn't mean we can't tag something else as a mountain if
there's good evidence that local usage calls it a mountain. As
always, it's what's on the ground that counts.
<br>
<br>
Mark
<br>
<br>
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<br>
</blockquote>
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