How the walk at Boscastle looks in Google Earth.
How to see the walks in Google Earth.
Google Earth is an amazing (and free) programme that uses hi-resolution aerial photography and overlays it over a mesh of spot heights to create virtual 3d views of the landscape below. To take advantage of this technology, we have provided links from most of the walk pages on this website. These enable you, with a few clicks of a mouse, to view the walk as if you were flying above it in a light aircraft and so get a real feel for what the walk is going to be like.
Step 1: Download & Install Google Earth.
If you haven’t done already, download and install Google Earth. It is free and can be downloaded from here.
Step 2: Trying out the basic Google Earth controls.
The first thing to do in Google Earth is to look at your house. To do this type your postcode or a place name into the ‘Fly to’ box on the top left. The map will then quickly zoom in from outer space to that location. |
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| The main controls are on the top right hand side of the screen. The best way to find out how they work is to try them out - but here's the basics. |
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| Rotating the outside of the top dial will rotate the map. The arrows on the inside tilt your view so that instead of looking straight down, you look at the ground at an angle. |
The lower dial enables you to move around the map.
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Moving the slider bar, alters the height of your viewpoint above the ground. |
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Step 3: Open Google Maps.
Now you know the basics, return to one of the walk pages on the South West Coast Path website, and click on the link to the Google map website, below the photo map.
This will open a new window with a full size Google map. |
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Step 4: Open Google Earth.
Click on the link above the map, ‘View in Google Earth’, and in the subsequent pop up box click on Open.
This will start Google Earth. |
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Step 5: Zoom in.
When Google Earth opens it is normally zoomed out to show the whole world. In the left hand column in the ‘Temporary places’ category is the name of the walk. Clicking on the name will cause the map to zoom in to the walk. |
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Step 6: Start the fly through tour of the walk.
In the ‘Places’ section, first click on the small plus signs to the left of the walk name, until you can see 3 dots and line icon.
Click on this walk name (the box should turn grey), and then the ‘Play’ button at the bottom of the box.
After a couple of seconds the map will start following the line of the walk.
Note: If you repeat Steps 3 to 6 with a new walk, Google Earth will continue 'flying' over the first walk. To avoid this, either delete the walk (click the right mouse button on the walk name and choose delete), or 'click and drag' the walk into 'My Places'. |
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