Ed’s Map Collection:
Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 Landranger ‘3a’ Covers
Page last updated: 16 April 2015
After the experiments with integral covers, Ordnance Survey introduced photographic card covers to their Landranger maps to make them more attractive to potential buyers. The first photographic cover design (designated ‘3a’ in Lez Watson’s list of Landranger cover variants) apparently first appeared towards the end of 1984 but did not remain in production for long: it was felt that the consumer needed to be able to clearly see the ‘Ordnance Survey’ branding at the top of the map cover in a shop shelf. Thus the ‘3a’ cover existed for only a short amount of time and was probably only ever applied to minority of the 204 sheets in the series. The full extent of ‘3a’ cover publication has not yet been documented.
The aim of this collection theme is to acquire a copy of every different Landranger sheet published with a ‘3a’ cover, and thus determine - as far as possible - how many of the 204 sheets in the series were in fact issued in ‘3a’ covers.

Diagram showing extent of known use Diagram showing extent of known use

Category Status

Total different sheets known with 3a covers 
78
Total different 3a sheets in collection 
68

You can click on the image of a map to view its details.

Blue shaded maps are also part of the ‘Cirencester area’ collection.
Pink shaded maps are apparently ‘3a’ examples, but not personally known.

Ordnance Survey Landranger Series ‘3a’ covers (1984-1985?)

Ser.
Ed.
Pub.
Map
Fmt
Cvr
Print code
Condition
Notes
Sheet 74 - Kelso & surrounding area
2nd A 1984.04 Map image PFS 3a 13300/2/84/840095 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and creased at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 75 - Berwick-upon-Tweed & surrounding area
2nd A 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 11600/11/84/841661 S Good Cover slightly creased and knocked at edges, small tears to edge of spine. Map in good condition, with some minor scuffing and wear to folds.
Sheet 80 - Cheviot Hills & Kielder Forest area
2nd A/* 1982.05 Map image PFS 3a 6700/1/84/831498 S Very Good Cover very good, but faded on spine. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 81 - Alnwick, Morpeth & surrounding area
2nd A 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 17100/10/84/841343 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and creased at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 85 - Carlisle & The Solway Firth
2nd A/* 1984.03 Coming soon... PFS 3a 13000/1/84/831421 S
Map image PFS 3a 4500/10/85/851266 S Good Cover slightly creased at edges. Map in good condition with little wear, but some minor creasing to legend panel.
Sheet 86 - Haltwhistle, Bewcastle & Alston area
2nd A/* 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 17350/3/84/840100 S Very Good Cover very good, but faded on spine. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 87 - Hexham, Haltwhistle & surrounding area
2nd A/*/*//* 1985.09 Map image PFS 3a 17200/5/85/850386 S Very Good Cover has address sticker to front and very minor knocking to edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 88 - Tyneside & Durham area
2nd A/*/*/* 1983.02 Map image PFS 3a - Good Cover has address sticker to front and minor scuffing to edges. Map in good condition with minor scuffing to folds.
Sheet 94 - Whitby & surrounding area
2nd A/*//* 1983.06 Map image PFS 3a 5500/2/85/841850 S Good Cover slightly creased and worn at edges. Map in very good condition, with only very minor scuffing to folds.
Map image PFS 3a 5500/2/85/841850 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and knocked at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear to folds.
Sheet 95 - Isle of Man
1st A/*/ 1982 Coming soon... PFS 3a -
2nd A 1986.08 Not in Collection
Sheet 96 - Barrow-in-Furness & South Lakeland area
2nd A/ 1983.09 Coming soon... PFS 3a 2690/4/85/850177 S
Sheet 97 - Kendal to Morecambe
2nd A/ 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 8000/6/84/840732 S Good Cover very slightly knocked and creased at edges, price sticker on front. Map in good condition with minimal wear.
Sheet 98 - Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale
2nd A 1983.04 Map image PFS 3a 7600/1/85/841749 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 99 - Northallerton, Ripon & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1983.09 Map image PFS 3a 5200/7/85/850773 S Good Cover knocked at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in good condition, with minimal wear.
Map image PFS 3a 5200/7/85/850773 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 100 - Malton, Pickering & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1983.05 Coming soon... PFS 3a 17000/3/83/830076 S
Map image PFS 3a 14500/3/85/841924 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and creased at edges, one crease across front. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 101 - Scarborough & Bridlington area
2nd A///* 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 18400/3/84/840071 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 102 - Preston, Blackpool & surrounding area
2nd A/*/ 1985.06 Map image PFS 3a 3800/6/85/850561 S Good Cover slightly creased at edges, small tear to side, faded on spine. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 104 - Leeds, Bradford & Harrogate area
2nd A/* 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 7400/3/84/840098 S Good Cover slightly scuffed in places and partly detached from sheet. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 106 - Market Weighton & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1985.03 Coming soon... PFS 3a 11200/11/84/841653 S
Sheet 107 - Kingston upon Hull and surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1983.06 Map image PFS 3a 13000/10/81/810836 S Good Seemingly anachronistic print code (unaltered from previous edition?) Cover scuffed and creased at edges. Map in good condition with minor scuffing to fold corners.
Sheet 110 - Sheffield & Huddersfield area
2nd A//*/* 1985.07 Map image PFS 3a 14600/4/85/850176 S Good Cover very slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition, with only very minor scuffing to folds.
Sheet 112 - Scunthorpe & surrounding area
2nd A/*/*/* 1985.12 Map image PFS 3a 12450/10/85/851263 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition.
Sheet 113 - Grimsby & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1985.06 Map image PFS 3a 9400/2/85/850043 S Good Cover scuffed and slightly torn at edges. Map in good condition, with some minor discolouration and scuff wear to folds.
Sheet 114 - Anglesey
2nd A 1983.11 Not in Collection 8000/10/83/830850 S
Map image PFS 3a 4000/8/85/851168 S Good Cover slightly knocked and scuffed at edges, folded slightly on the skew. Map in good condition, with light creasing in places and minor scuffing to fold edges.
Sheet 115 - Snowdon & surrounding area
2nd A/*/*/*/* 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 17000/3/84/8404554 S Reasonable Cover knocked and rubbed at edges and creased in several places. Map has several creases and some slight scuffing to folds.
Sheet 117 - Chester, Wrexham & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1984.04 Map image PFS 3a 11900/12/83/831258 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition.
Sheet 118 - Stoke-on-Trent & Macclesfield area
2nd A/*/*/* 1985.09 Map image PFS 3a 8100/5/85/850385 S Good Cover slightly knocked and creased at edges, address sticker top-right. Map in good condition with some minor scuffing to folds.
Sheet 120 - Mansfield, Worksop & surrounding area
2nd A/ 1982.09 Map image PFS 3a 21000/9/82/821375 S Very Good Cover slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition.
2nd A//* 1985.06 Map image PFS 3a 12500/2/85/850044S Good Cover very slightly knocked and torn at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 123 - Lleyn Peninsula
2nd A 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 6500/9/84/841197 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked and scuffed at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 128 - Derby & Burton upon Trent area
2nd A/*/*/* 1983.12 Map image PFS 3a 14000/11/83/831126 S Good Cover slightly scuffed, a few edge knocks, and with address sticker. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 129 - Nottingham & Loughborough area
2nd A/*/* 1984.01 Coming soon... PFS 3a 12300/1/84/831420 S
2nd A/*/*/* 1986.01 Map image PFS 3a 13350/10/85/851261 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no visible wear.
Sheet 131 - Boston & Spalding area
2nd A/*/* 1984.02 Map image PFS 3a 11000/1/84/831375 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition, with only very minor scuffing to folds.
Map image PFS 3a - Very Good Cover very slightly scuffed at edges, very light fading to spine. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 133 - North East Norfolk
2nd A/* 1985.11 Map image PFS 3a 10900/7/85/850841S Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges, some minor sticker damage. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 134 - Norwich & The Broads
2nd A/* 1984.07 Map image PFS 3a 9000/4/84/840566 S Good Cover faded on spine and very slightly knocked at edges, remnants of price sticker on front. Map in very good condition with very little visible wear.
Sheet 135 - Aberystwyth & surrounding area
1st A//* 1981.08 Map image PFS 3a - Good Cover slightly knocked at edges, faded on spine. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
2nd A 1986.04 Map image PFS 3a 15750/2/86/851693 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges and slightly creased in places. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 136 - Newtown, Llanidloes & surrounding area
2nd A 1986.03 Coming soon... PFS 3a 12700/1/86/851466 S
Sheet 137 - Ludlow, Wenlock Edge & surrounding area
1st A/* 1980.06 Coming soon... PFS 3a -
Sheet 139 - Birmingham & Wolverhampton area
2nd A//*/*/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 12100/12/84/841277 S Good Cover very slightly knocked and creased at edges. Map in good condition, with some minor signs of use but virtually no wear.
Sheet 140 - Leicester & Coventry area
2nd A/* 1984.10 Map image PFS 3a 14200/8/84/841180 S Good Cover very slightly scuffed at edges. Map in good condition with only very minor scuffing to folds.
Sheet 143 - Ely, Wisbech & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 9600/7/84/840982 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges. Map in good condition with almost no wear.
Map image PFS 3a 9600/7/84/840982 S Very Good Cover very slightly creased and knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 144 - Thetford, Breckland & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 26350/10/84/841272 S Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 146 - Lampeter, Llandovery & surrounding area
2nd A 1984.06 Map image PFS 3a 16450/3/85/850172 S Good Cover slightly faded on spine, slight surface scuffing in places. Map in good condition, with very minor wear to folds.
Map image PFS 3a 16450/3/85/850172 S Good Cover slightly worn at edges, two stickers to front. Map in good condition with minor wear to folds.
Sheet 149 - Hereford, Leominster & surrounding area
1st A/* 1982.04 Coming soon... PFS 3a -
Sheet 151 - Stratford-upon-Avon & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 12800/7/84/840832 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 152 - Northampton & Milton Keynes area
2nd A/*/*/* 1985.04 Map image PFS 3a 13100/1/85/841925 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 153 - Bedford, Huntingdon & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1984.08 Map image PFS 3a 12100/7/84/840795 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and knocked at edges. Map in good condition, with very little wear.
2nd A/*/*/* 1986.07 Map image PFS 3a 15500/3/86/860041 S Reasonable Cover knocked and creased at edges, one small tear to front. Map has some minor wear and scuffing to folds, and with some road number corrections marked in ink in north-eastern quarter of sheet.
Sheet 155 - Bury St Edmunds & Sudbury area
2nd A// 1983.02 Map image PFS 3a 5000/8/85/850842 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges. Map in good condition with very little wear.
2nd A///* 1986.05 Not in Collection
Sheet 156 - Saxmundham & Aldeburgh area
2nd A/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 11700/10/84/841275 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and knocked at edges, partially faded on spine. Map in good condition, with minor weakening to folds, but no splits.
Map image PFS 3a 11700/10/84/841275 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition, with very little visible wear.
Sheet 157 - St David’s & Haverfordwest area
2nd A 1983.11 Map image PFS 3a 12000/9/83/830657 S Good Cover slightly knocked and creased at edges. Map in good condition with very little visible wear.
Map image PFS 3a 3000/11/85/851350 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 158 - Tenby & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1985.08 Map image PFS 3a 11750/6/85/850557 S Reasonable Cover torn at edges and scuffed, bottom-left corner detached. Map in reasonably good condition, although some scuffing, wear and yellowing to some folds.
Sheet 159 - Swansea & Gower area
2nd A/*/* 1985.07 Coming soon... PFS 3a 12800/4/85/850174 S
Sheet 160 - Brecon Beacons
2nd A/ 1985.08 Map image PFS 3a 23500/8/85/851142 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges, one tear to rear. Map in good condition with very little wear.
Sheet 165 - Aylesbury & Leighton Buzzard area
2nd A/* 1984.09 Map image PFS 3a 12300/6/84/840831 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good clean condition.
Sheet 168 - Colchester & The Blackwater area
2nd A/* 1983.10 Map image PFS 3a 3000/6/85/850562 S Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges, faded on spine. Map in good condition with minimal wear to folds.
Sheet 170 - Vale of Glamorgan & Rhondda area
2nd A/*/* 1984.07 Map image PFS 3a 8700/5/84/840597 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Map image PFS 3a 8700/5/84/840597 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
2nd A/*/*/* 1986.05 Map image PFS 3a 9750/3/86/860034 S Very Good Cover slightly creased on bottom edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no signs of wear.
Sheet 171 - Cardiff, Newport & surrounding area
2nd A/*/* 1985.08 Map image PFS 3a 7980/5/85/850383 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges, some minor surface damage from price sticker. Map in very good condition, with no visible wear.
Sheet 172 - Bristol, Bath & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1983.12 Map image PFS 3a 5000/9/85/850877 S Very Good Cover very slightly scuffed and creased at edges. Map in very good condition with very little wear visible.
Sheet 174 - Newbury, Wantage & surrounding area
2nd A//* 1985.08 Coming soon... PFS 3a 22400/4/85/850173 S
Sheet 175 - Reading, Windsor & surrounding area
2nd A/*/*/* 1984.07 Map image PFS 3a 21800/4/84/840470 S Very Good Cover very slightly scuffed at edges. Map in very good condition, with no visible wear.
Sheet 178 - Thames Estuary area
2nd A/* 1984.12 Not in Collection
Sheet 179 - Canterbury & East Kent area
2nd A/* 1982.06 Map image PFS 3a 7500/3/84/840427 S Good Cover knocked and slightly creased at edges. Map in good condition, with some minor wear to folds.
Sheet 180 - Barnstaple & Ilfracombe area
2nd A 1983.04 Map image PFS 3a 9000/1/85/841851 S Very Good Cover virtually undamaged, with OS price sticker. Map in very good condition, with no visible wear.
Sheet 181 - Minehead & Brendon Hills area
2nd A/* 1985.04 Map image PFS 3a 14000/1/85/841934 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges, price sticker on front. Map in very good condition, with no visible wear.
Sheet 182 - Weston-super-Mare & Bridgwater area
2nd A 1982.08 Map image PFS 3a 10000/7/84/840887 S Good Cover slightly knocked and creased at edges. Map in very good condition.
Sheet 183 - Yeovil to Frome
2nd A/* 1985.07 Map image PFS 3a 20300/5/85/850382 S Good Cover slightly scuffed at edges and on spine. Map in good condition, very little wear to folds, but with ‘Buoy’ written in ink on legend panel.
Map image PFS 3a 20300/5/85/850382 S Very Good Cover slightly scuffed at edges, one small crease. Map in very good condition.
Sheet 189 - Ashford & Romney Marsh area
2nd A/* 1982.07 Map image PFS 3a 4000/7/84/840888 S Very Good Cover very slightly scuffed at edges. Map in very good condition.
2nd A/* 1985.11 Not in Collection
Sheet 190 - Bude, Clovelly & surrounding area
2nd A 1983.01 Not in Collection
Sheet 191 - Okehampton & North Dartmoor area
2nd A 1983.01 Map image PFS 3a 5000/7/84/840889 S Good Cover very slightly creased at edges and slightly scuffed, price sticker on front. Map in good condition with very little wear but small ink annotation to left margin.
Sheet 192 - Exeter, Sidmouth & surrounding area
2nd A 1983.09 Map image PFS 3a 16000/8/83/830532 S Very Good Cover very slightly creased at edges. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 193 - Taunton to Lyme Regis
2nd A 1983.03 Not in Collection 12000/2/83/821689 S
Map image PFS 3a 8800/12/84/841656 S Good Cover slightly creased at edges and slightly scuffed. Map in very good condition, with very minimal wear.
Sheet 194 - Dorchester, Weymouth & surrounding area
2nd A 1983.03 Map image PFS 3a 1600/10/84/841403 S Good Cover has some light surface scuffing, slightly knocked at edges with one or two small tears. Map in good condition with very light scuffing to some fold edges.
2nd A/* 1986.04 Map image PFS 3a 23200/11/85/851351 S Good Cover knocked at edges and slightly creased. Map in good condition, with some signs of use and some minor scuffing and wear to folds.
Sheet 195 - Bournemouth, Purbeck & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1985.03 Map image PFS 3a 12300/12/84/841657 S Good Cover slightly creased at edges, one small tear to spine. Map in good condition, with some scuffing and wear to folds.
Sheet 198 - Brighton & The Downs
2nd A/*/* 1984.08 Map image PFS 3a 12400/5/84/840599 S Good Cover slightly knocked at edges and a little scuffed. Map in good condition with very little visible wear.
Sheet 199 - Eastbourne, Hastings & surrounding area
2nd A/* 1984.05 Map image PFS 3a 9700/2/84/831547 S Good Cover scuffed at edges, slight surface damage from price sticker. Map in very good condition, with virtually no wear.
Sheet 200 - Newquay, Bodmin & surrounding area
2nd A 1982.06 Map image PFS 3a 6500/4/84/840472 S Good Cover very slightly knocked at edges. Map in good condition, very little wear to folds, but one small ink mark.
Sheet 201 - Plymouth & Launceston area
2nd A/*/* 1986.05 Map image PFS 3a 15800/12/85/851470 S Very Good Cover very slightly knocked and creased at edges. Map slightly creased on legend panel but otherwise very good.
Sheet 202 - Torbay & South Dartmoor area
2nd A/* 1985.04 Map image PFS 3a 12600/1/85/841655 S Good Cover slightly scuffed and creased at edges. Map in good condition, with very minimal wear.
Map image PFS 3a 12600/1/85/841655 S Good Cover very slightly scuffed and slightly knocked at edges. Map in very good condition with virtually no wear.
Sheet 203 - Land’s End, The Lizard & Isles of Scilly
2nd A/* 1984.01 Map image PFS 3a 13000/12/83/831260 S Good Cover slightly scuffed at edges and on spine, slightly creased at edges. Map in good condition, with some slight discolouration and minor scuffing to folds.