Please excuse my ignorance, I am new to these maps.
I am trying to find footpaths in the area where I have just moved to but find it difficult to understand the symbols on the map as they are different to those shown on the recommended 1:25,000 Explorer and 1:50,000 Landranger symbol guides.
My postcode is IP13 8AU and most of the lines are black long dashes with a black circle in the middle of each dash then there is a very straight line with "V"s on the edge (electricity?). I can't find those on the guide. There are also parallel black dashed lines (tracks?)
Are colours significant. The guide shows green dashed lines for footpaths & bridleways but the map has only red, or in some cases black, dashed lines. On the opening map (Exmoor) there are red dashed lines with red blobs every 500m or so. The closest symbol I can find, although a slightly different shape, would be "a railway station open to the public" which seems unlikely.....
Are there a separate range of symbols with a different colour coding for these footpath maps?
Also how does one know what the "zoom level" is? Just trial & error?