Toolkit

Trail Designer and Mobile Viewer are two browser based applications that enable you to design trails and then to view them when you are out walking or cycling. With Trail Designer you plot your trail and save it to our database. Mobile Viewer is then used to access the trail from your mobile phone or similar handheld device. It can also show your location on the map.

Trail Designer

Trail Designer is an interactive mapping tool that enables you to create your own trails and share them with friends. It uses digital maps provided by Ordnance Survey. Different map scales are loaded as you zoom in and out. The scale 1:50000, i.e. the Landranger map series, is perhaps most useful for plotting routes.

You plot a trail by placing markers on the map. The length of the route and your current grid reference are updated as you design your trail. When complete you can save the trail and then send a link to your friends for them to view it.

Mobile Viewer

Mobile Viewer is a browser based application that is intended for use on mobile phones and other handheld devices. You can use it to view Walk and Cycle trails and trails designed with Trail Designer. The trail route is plotted onto Ordnance Survey digital maps. It can also track your current location so that you know where you are in relation to the trail you are following.

To use Mobile Viewer, open the Internet browser on your portable device and go to www.walkandcycle.co.uk/mobile. You can list Walk and Cycle trails and then open one by clicking on the trail name. To load a trail that you have plotted with Trail Designer select the menu option 'Open a Trail' and then enter the trail code.

Mobile Viewer uses the Google Gears plug-in to access device location services such as GPS and to provide offline storage for the files making up the application. Depending on the browser you use you may need to download and install Google Gears. This is very straightforward, takes only a few moments and is completely free. To obtain the plug-in please click here.

We have tried to make the application as lightweight as possible. Fewer features enable maps and trail data to be loaded faster. However it does requires a reliable and fast internet connection and a suitable phone or handheld device.

GPS Points

The GPS points of your trail or the trails mapped by Walk and Cycle can be down-loaded and imported into your favourite mapping software or GPS device. Select the "Download GPS Data" option at the top of the trail page and copy the GPS data to a file on your computer.

Please note that as trails are plotted using Ordnance Survey Landranger maps the GPS points are accurate to a scale of 1:50000.

Calorie Counter

Use our calculator to estimate the number of calories you will burn while out walking and cycling based on your weight, travel speed and distance. Change your profile and the trail distance to gauge how small adjustments can affect the number of calories you can burn.