MAGIC - Interactive Map

Multi Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside. This government sponsored map allows you to view detailed maps of the UK and overlay on them various colored layers of land areas where permission to place caches is required. It is a very useful tool for checking a location. The map is primarily for England. Although it does cover Wales and Scotland it doesn't show all the land areas. For Wales and Scotland you will also need to use the Countryside Council for Wales map and theScottish Natural Heritage map.

These are the layers shown on the MAGIC map: National Trust land (England), Forestry Commission (England), Woodland Trust (UK), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (UK), Local Nature Reserves (England), National Nature Reserves (UK), RSBP Reserves (UK) and Scheduled Ancient Monuments (England). For more information about each organisation or area see the page on Permission.

Please note that the MAGIC map is a little slow to load and is frequently updated (often at weekends) with a major update once every month. During this time the map is unavailable. You can check when updates are due on the MAGIC website.

The map is rather tricky to use so there is a very useful link called MAGIC MapIt! which allows you to enter coordinates (in any format) or a post code to display the map with the appropriate layers showing. Your location is shown by the arrow. Please see the example below with information explaining what each layer means.

Link to the Permission page
Open the MAGIC MapIt! link
How do I get coordinates to enter into the Magic Mapit! link?
Magic Update schedule
MAGIC - to use the full map features
Wales and Scotland maps

When using the MAGIC MapIt! link do not click anywhere on the map as this will re-centre the map and the arrow will not point to the required location. Please follow the instructions below.

Controlling the Layers

The layers shown are those for which proof of permission is required in the UK (see the page on Permission). Examples are shown in the image above for Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature reserves and National Trust Land. When several layers are on top of each other it is difficult to differentiate one from another. So use the List of Layers link above the layers box to switch off layers to display what is underneath. When you've de-selected the layers click the Refresh Layers box to redraw the map.

There is a default grey background colour to woodland on the map when it isn't highlighted with another layer colour. Sometimes this grey can appear as blue on some PC monitors and be confused with the blue of nature reserves or RSPB reserves. If you are not sure use the layers control to switch off layers to see more clearly. This example shows an SSSI (green) and a National Nature Reserve (reddish) with Totterdown Wood as default grey. The nature reserve overlays part of the wood to the east.

Controlling the Zoom

Do not click on the map or use the + and - zoom buttons in the lower left as this will re-centre the map and the arrow will not point to the required location. Use the Scale box to zoom in or out using these suggested values.
4000 is the default. To zoom in closer enter 2000. To zoom out to a wider view then 10000 or 20000 is the best.

---

How do I get coordinates to enter into the Magic MapIt! link?

If you've not got the coordinates from your GPS then you can use either Streetmap, Google Maps or if you have it Memory Map to check a location and get the coordinates for the Magic MapIt! link which will accept coordinates in most formats.

Streetmap

Streetmap uses the Ordnance Survey 1:50000 or 1:25000 scale maps and are the most detailed to use for the UK.
Open Streetmap and enter either a placename or postcode. When the map opens you can use the + zoom control (lower right) to zoom from the default 1:50000 OS map to the larger scale 1:25000 scale map. You can also move the arrow using the Move Arrow command and just click and drag to pan the map. Once the arrow is in the correct place click on the link below the map to convert coordinates. You can then copy the coordinates to paste into the Magic MapIt! link. The easiest ones to copy are the LR ones, e.g. SU122699. In the example I searched for the village of Avebury in Wiltshire and then panned the map and moved the arrow to the correct place.

Open Streemap

Google Maps - Map or Satellite view

You can use either the map or satellite view with Google Maps. When you've got your location (Avebury again in this example) you can select which view you want (map or satellite) and drag the map as needed. Then right click the mouse at the location and choose What's here to show the coordinates of that spot. These can then be pasted into the Magic MapIt! link.

Open Google Maps

---

How to use MAGIC by entering full search information by hand (without using the Magic MapIt! link)

MAGIC Map Website

To use the map you need to set up what you want to look for as there is a lot of information you can search for. Open the map page.

1. From the drop down box select 'Design my Own Topic'. A new window opens showing a list of available layers. Select the England Only tab (shows in orange) and choose the layers shown. Then select the GB and Marine tab (changes to orange) and choose the layers shown. These layers cover England, Scotland and Wales.
   
   Note: National Trust Properties covers land owned/managed by them too.
   
   
2. Click Save Selection. If you want to look up another location you start at 1 and can load your previous selection. If you close the map session down you will lose the selection. When you've finished choosing the layers click Done in the top right corner of this window which will then close and take you back to the first window.
   
   
3. Enter the location you want to search for. In this example it is a placename (Avebury in Wiltshire). You can search by postcode, coordinates: lat and long in decimal degrees in the form 51.56 -2.66 (it will not accept degrees and decimal minutes) or OS grid reference in the form SD 456 567 (it will not take the 10 digit full reference). You can easily zoom and pan the map as needed.
   If your placename is ambiguous you may get another dialogue box asking which one you mean. Select the correct one and the MAGIC map will open.
   
   
4. Use the controls to zoom in or out and pan around the map. The list of layers on the right give you the key. In the example below you can see that Fyfield Down is a National Nature Reserve, an SSSI and all within a scheduled ancient monument. The reserve is bordered on the west by National Trust land.
   
   
5. If the map layers are too complex you can turn off layers to make the map clearer by clicking on List of Layers above the layers box on the right. In this example the Forestry Commision land layer is being removed.

Step 1	Step 1/2	Step 3
Step 4
Step 5