Anyone have a link to London maps with contour lines?

davmaggs
davmaggs Posts: 1,008
edited October 2009 in Commuting chat
Whilst London is fairly flat I'm interested in finding the odd hill or two to stretch the legs.

Does anyone know if there's any online map service that shows contours or spot heights for London streets?

I've tried a google search, but the results are poor (finds other people asking the same question) and my usual web sites don't have heights on them.

Comments

  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Something like BikeHike should do the trick. Has an OS map, and will show elevation info for any routes you plot.

    Where in London are you? There's enough of us in this neck of the woods to point you in the right directions.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Most of the hills are very short and any steep bits are momenty rather than full on. Gets steeper hamstead sort of area and around richmond, steepest I've seen is nightingale lane up Richmond hill. Might just hit 20%
  • davmaggs
    davmaggs Posts: 1,008
    nice one, thanks for that link.

    The areas that I was thinking about (bike or run) was that side roads off Herne Hill through to Denmark hill that would seem quite steep, although short. Also Richmond

    I normally use runningahead.com to record bike routes and runs, and although it uses google maps and has a really nice planner it doesn't have that elevation feature. It seems that you each site has a nice tool, but not the whole set.
  • Porgy
    Porgy Posts: 4,525
    Shooters Hill's always there - and there's the run up to crystal Palace.
  • shoulder_of_orion
    shoulder_of_orion Posts: 529
    If you are in the Herne Hill area, try taking a jaunt up to Crystal Palace, Gypsy Hill is known to be among the steepest hills in the area but many of the other routes up to Crystal Palace are worth a look, e.g. via Sydenham, Dulwich etc
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    Multimap will give you the 1:25000 OS maps if you zoom in enough, this has 10m contours although they can be hard to follow because of all the other features, buildings etc.
    <a>road</a>
  • crosstowncommuter
    crosstowncommuter Posts: 110
    You could try from Peckham Rye Park (not far from Herne Hill) - head up Forest Hill Road towards Honor Oak Park, then right onto Honor Oak Road (heading towards South Circ).

    Any of the roads off to the right of Honor Oak Road have some pretty steep climbs, or continue on towards Sydenham / Crystal Palace for more "hills" (or as close as you get to them in London)!
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Herne Hill you say :-) I live down the road from Selhurst footie stadium and work in London so often head out over the hills on my commute :-)

    Gypsy Hill is a good one, along with Knights Hill in Norwood, both offer a short and sharp kick!
    College Road leading towards Crystal Palace Parade offers a couple of ways of torturing yourself as you can either head up College Road and then turn off before it becomes Fountain Drive, or way on up Fountain Drive and try your luck with the roundabout at the top :-)
    A bit closer to me you have Cypress Road which is stupid steep and used to form part of one of the more torturous training runs back in the days when I was a Croydon Harrier, thankfully I managed to duck out of those runs :-D

    The drag from Elmers End to Crystal Palace is a good run and I'm sure I remember Greg66 mentioning a hill reps route he used to do in the area so it might be worth PM'ing him about it.

    As for planning Bikehike is one of my favourites as it has the OS maps and can show a elevation profile for the route as well, that allows you to highlight climbs and they are then shown on the map!
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  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    North London - Crouch End Hill is rather steep in fact the steepest I've found in London.
    South London - Going along Lordship Lane through Dulwich is quite steep. Or Greenwich Park cycling up Maze Hill/Crooms Hill.
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  • StefanP
    StefanP Posts: 429
    Sorry for bumping an old thread

    Tithepitshaw Lane in South Croydon... (15%?)
    There is another in Whyteleafe that allegedly goes over 20% B) I'll have to look that one up.
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    StefanP wrote:
    Sorry for bumping an old thread

    Tithepitshaw Lane in South Croydon... (15%?)
    There is another in Whyteleafe that allegedly goes over 20% B) I'll have to look that one up.

    I think you'll want to check out Sucombs Hill for some punishment in the Whyteleafe, the sign at the bottom claims a 25% gradient!! Did it in the car and thought it was bad at the start until I turned a corner and found the STEEP bit!!! Have yet to return on 2 wheels though :-)
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  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    It's a bit of an arse to scroll round this but it is topographical:

    http://www8.garmin.com/cgi-bin/mapgen/w ... smap.y=182
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