UKC

Yesterday we visited Glasson Dock, for a walk and to visit the Cockersands Chapter house. After parking we noticed a big circular thing marking the start of The Bay Way.
My Wife commented we should do that, sounds good.
I said we did it 5 years ago, remember that big hill outside Cartmell.
She said, but its 130 miles, and we did it over 2 days, no way.
Hmm, says I, 130 miles, but we did do it, but no way could we have cycled that far over two days then.
We them wandered off discussing his mystery.

A little googling has revealed it is actually 80 miles or about 130km.

So, starter question for 10 is

Did we read the sign wrong, did it actually say Kilometeres and not Miles.

and the Bonus question for 5 is.

If we did read it wrong, why is it in Kilometeres.

Tried looking on Google Street View, so wondered if anyone is in the area who could check it.

All manner of units are used on signs for cycle routes, they use minutes round here, pretty sure km are usually marked as such.

Is that a minutes as in 6068 feet or 60 seconds?

If the sign does say km, then its confusing as in the UK for good or ill, we use miles, seems a perverse thing to do.

I'll been down at Glasson Dock tomorrow. Where exactly is this sign and I'll check?

The signs wrong, we saw it the other week. and said "Well that's not right!" while enjoying an ice cream.

It is on the Seaward side of the lock on the grass, big circular thing, you will not miss it. 
From what Northern says, it is wrong, and I assume it says Miles not Kilometres.

Mind if wanting an Ice Cream, go to Wallings or Coffee and a Cake, still Wallings, after one of their cakes, you will need to cycle miles not kilometres.

Pretty sure it's seconds.

I suspect it will have something to do with the majority of mapping bought for recreational purposes being in km.

Is it? Forgive me for being a tad direct, but that sounds total nonsense to me. I think most mapping in the UK, is provide by the OS which is to a scale and that scale is readable as either Miles or Kilometres, or even chains furlongs or whatever. The map is not in anything, other than some European maps have little lolly pop things, that do give km distances between. Does the same thing happen on UK maps?

 

Heights are in metres, grid is in metres, coordinate system is in metres. It's hardly a wild claim.

Did you get inside the abbey chapel and had they brought down that mediaeval brass cross I told you about? You're a bit exposed out at the abbey - any thunder and lightning there - lots in the Lyth Valley yesterday!

An interesting point, never thought of that. It is rather odd, I would never go on a 17km walk, always 11 miles, but when looking at a map, I know on the flat to walk across a square takes 10mins ish as I walk at 100m per minute.
Have heights ever been in yards in the UK or always in metres.

As probablylost has stated, there are plenty of measurements on OS maps, most if not all of the units are metric. The whole grid is set up on 1km divisions apart from anything else. 

Personally we would have been better off if we had gone fully metric back in the day with new roadsigns displaying dual units for 30-40 years before ditching them (noting some last a very long time).

Yes, it was really interesting, they really helped visualise the extent of the Abbey, the Chapter House was surprisingly ornate and yes the cross was there.

As an added bonus the son of of Mrs Parkinson was there  youtube.com/watch?v=1FACXNuGNKw& and we had a good old chat with him, which was a lovely connection with a time gone by.

We got caught in a mild shower, but had got to back to Glasson before it degged it down. Picked about 10lb of Damsons too and got to peep in the church too, as they were having a service, which was interesting.

I think he was the gent who opened up the Catholic church by Thurnham Hall the day before I went in the Cockersand Abbey chapel last year. It's amazing what she used to do out at the lighthouse - I loved the old photos of her they had on display, especially the one with her and the cat.

You cad! Have you left any? That's the last time I show you my wild plums ....

Yes, OS maps used to have contours in feet until the 1970s. I just learned there was a period with imperial heights and a metric grid! https://maps.nls.uk/view/196181762

When I first started looking at OS maps (junior school, aged maybe 8 or 9, mid 60s), heights & contours were in feet on the most widely used maps which were 1 inch to the mile, but these had the one km national grid (as on modern 1:50 000 OS maps).  There were also the so called two & a half inch to the mile maps, but that was just an approximative name for 1:25 000 maps. I think 1: 10 000 maps were around then as well, replacing earlier 6 inch to the mile maps but less sure as I didn't see one till much later

Yes, loads left, but they need picking ASAP. If you go, a stick with a hook on to pull the boughs down will be useful.

Yes, and there was a spell when the OS claimed to have gone metric, but hadn’t resurveyed the contours. They used the old imperial contours but just changed the numbers so, for example, the 1,000 ft contour became 305m

Google Images finds this sign:

https://oysterwheel.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/img_3269.jpg?w=768

Which says 81 miles.  So if the other one says 130 miles it's wrong

Miles and kms are switched.

Great, thanks.