HARVEY Maps Reviews 

Great service, great maps

I made contact with Harvey maps, having just completed the Pennine Way. I was useing "footprint" maps, while ok'ish they did not give any leaway either side of the route should you need to move away.
I posed a few question via Email and had a reply within a few hrs. I had seen a copy of the Harvey's map and decided that I would purchase a set for my walk next year. The Pennine Way, West Highland Way and the Great Glean Way one after the other, Dealing with Caitlin, I asked if the company supported "blue light service's" while she indicated that they did not at this time she offered a 30% discount. The service I recived in Email and over the phone was 1st class, thank you very much Caitlin and Harvey Mapd

Caution be aware limited coverage - Their maps focus on the area within the designated national park boundary. Harvey maps do not cover the whole of the North York Moors as the map title suggests. Unlike OS maps which cover the whole area, which is a real shame as I very much like the way the detail is presented.

For what ever reason Harvey maps do not cover the east coast such as Staithes, Whitby, the East Coastal Path LDW (now known as King Charles III England Coast Path), nor do they cover south of Pickering and Helmsley so they do not cover the Howardian Hills or the Vale of Pickering. This is a shame as it means I have to keep my OS maps until Harvey Maps update their coverage.

The Ultramap XT40 at 1:40,000 scale is printed on a sheet about one third of the size of standard OS maps, as such the font is smaller and not as easy to read, but your eyes do get use to it.
Contrary to some reviews the scale of 1:40,000 does give a good amount of details for navigation which does include fence lines, which I do like very much. The scale is far better for hiking than the OS 1:50,000.
It is a shame Harvey do not publish this area at 1:25,000 as they do for other areas.
If the 1:40,000 maps were printed on a sheet the same sheet size as OS maps, the font would be easier to read. Conversely the British Mountain Map series is printed on a larger sheet size, it is about one third longer than OS maps. This makes it difficult to fold and follow whilst walking especially if there is a wind.

The North York Moors (British Mountain Map) at 1:40,000 scale, carry a lot of information that will be redundant to most walkers and hikers who can navigate and who prepare for the UK weather.
The information about the geological and historical structure of the bedrock, this could have given way to broader coverage of the whole of the North York Moors area.
I can see the use of some information as a reminder of basics of first aid and how to recognise hypothermia, but weirdly does not cover hyperthermia which poses a risk to unprepared hikers in summer.
I'm not sure that the 'how to use a compass' information is necessary. I am of the opinion that all of this additional/redundant information would be better placed in a booklet to accompany their maps, and marketed so that the less experienced navigators can or should consider using it in conjunction with their maps, how to relate contours to the lay of the land, using compasses, etc.

I do like the waterproof covering, it makes the maps much more manageable and capable of folding small to show the section being navigated, this is much more annoyingly awkward with the OS maps. I really do hope that Harvey maps improve the size of the area their maps cover, and add more 1:25,000 scale Superwalker maps.

I was considering 2 stars but have given it 3 stars as it is handy to have the majority of the North York Moors on a single sheet, so the map is still of use. It is just seriously annoying they have not covered the whole of the North York Moors where I spend a lot of time.