Attribution

OS DPN attribution is designed to provide partners and developers with the detailed information required to enable the selection of a suitable route for specific users and their chosen method of travel. Depending on the type of user, the attribution also enables journey time estimation.

Detailed information on OS DPN attribution can be found in the OS Detailed Path Network Technical Specification document which is available on the OS DPN Product Support page of the OS website.

The following headings detail the types of information that OS DPN attribution provides.

Names

The names of sections of road, track or path are included, where known, to provide the partner or developer with the means to deliver additional information to the user. For example, walk along “High Street” and turn into “Canal Walk”.

Usability of a route

The physical usability of a route, for example, the type of route:

• Description of route – For example, an A or B road classification, a track or a path.

• Surface type – The nature of the material the route is made of, for example, sealed or unmade surfaces.

Access rights for a route

The access rights for a route reflect the permissions granted to travel along it. This is usually based upon the mode of travel, for example:

• Public rights of way (England and Wales only)

• Access land (England and Wales only)

Difficulty of a route

The difficulty of a route depends upon many factors; some of these factors have been included within the data. This attribution allows a developer or partner to select routes appropriate for specific users, dependent upon their level of fitness and expertise in outdoor navigation.

Attribution is provided to inform the user as to the potential difficulty of the route in the following way:

• Geometry – Provided as three-dimensional coordinates.

• Planimetric length – The two-dimensional length.

• Surface length – The three-dimensional length.

• Cumulative vertical gain – Total ‘climb’ when travelling along a RouteLink.

• Problematic terrain – An indication of when a route may pass through an area that could pose a risk or impediment to passage, for example, proximity to a cliff or a scree slope.