Detailed Map of England

If you have a good-size bookstore in your area, it's worth checking out the map section. You might find something that would work for you, or you might find something that clearly would not, and thus avoid the risk of buying it online.

I have no recommendation to offer since I don't drive in Europe and don't need the type of map you are seeking. But I have looked for city maps and found that, while most look as if they'd be fine, there's at least one manufacturer out there that uses a cartoonish design with drawings of buildings plunked down on the map and covering up some street names and sometimes even streets. I was very glad to know about that style of map so I could avoid it. (Unfortunately, I've now forgotten the name of the publisher.)

I'd go to Amazon and look at what they offer and read the reviews. Might still purchase locally at a bookstore but at least would have a better idea of pros and cons.

acraven, that's the kind of map that is often handed out by hotels. Grrrrrr. We even got one like that from a TI in, I think, Reims last year.

Yes, that type of design became popular a few years ago. Why anyone would think the main goal of a map is anything other than helping people find their way, I do not know. It may just be wishful thinking, but it seems to me that style of map is not quite as prevalent now as it was in 2015-2017. It may just be a matter of what countries I traveled to each year, though.

Perhaps email some Tourist Info centers in the UK, and ask what you can order? For our recent xmas markets trip, {Germany}, I did just that, as many of my focus towns were not included in the RS Guidebooks. I received great printed maps and guidebooks, at no charge. Obviously, the maps sent to me were of smaller areas than what you probably need, but going straight to the source worked for me.
Safe travels!

AA, the automobile one, used to have a large format, 1" = one mile grid in a book format. I got mine at a AAA travel branch store. If out of print: you could look for one on eBay or Amazon. Even out of date one can still work for you in "Village" UK.

Michelin maps are great. Amazon has a great selection of them for the UK. The link below should give you an idea of what they have. Be sure to scroll down to see them all.

Amazon search for Michelin maps of Great Britain.

Michelin isn't the only publisher. This 2020 Collins Roadmap Britain might be all you need.

Here is the current AA UK road atlas onAmazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Road-Atlas-Britain-2020/dp/0749581298/ref=asc_df_0749581298/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385569532016&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5273697273367984216&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033282&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-758726657403&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78303888626&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385569532016&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5273697273367984216&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033282&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-758726657403

This one is 3” to the mile, which is a bit more practical than the 1” to 1 mile, which has 328 pages!

I have an older edition of this, softcover, and I remove the pages I need to take along for our exploration of the British countryside.

There is only one option if you want a detailed map of any part of the U.K. - Ordnance Survey maps. Everything else is rubbish in comparison.

Another vote for the Ordnance Survey Maps . They will be in my bag when I return to England and Scotland in the coming Autumn .

My local Barnes & Noble still has a rack of paper road maps for most foreign countries.

Plenty of maps here available once in England. Sounds like this is the area you are visiting:> https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.9912023,0.1611253,59660m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1

I love just reading OS maps, they are fasinating!

I purchased on Amazon a great road map of England and Wales prior to our 2017 road trip. Had to have a backup in case the nav system couldn't cut it.

I personally find the Ordnance Survey maps terrible for driving (but great for hiking).

Michelin maps are the best for driving.

GPS and Google maps are better than paper.

Nobody would doubt the perfection of OS maps, but they might not be suitable for you. At least not the Explorer range which is what most people, I think, mean when they talk of OS. Those maps are great for walking a particular area, but not very practical for a more general trip around a county (when you might not need to know if the church has a tower or a spire). For that, the Landranger version might be more useful. Although even with those you'll likely need two or three maps to cover E Sussex. A good road atlas, such as from the RAC or AA may be sufficient.

thank you to all of you who so thoughtfully replied.....what great input and resources! I prefer a full paper map, as one can see the whole, rather than just parts......so I will investigate your ideas, and once again, I thank you for your experience, and your time spent responding,
Regina

I use the Michelin maps which you can purchase right here on Rick’s website. I used one on the Rick Steves Villages of South England last May to follow where the bus was going. Some of the other tour members liked referring to it.

Quite a number of years ago, I purchased a Super Scale Great Britain Road Atlas A-Z. At that time, it was available at Barnes and Noble - don't know if it still is. Before we got GPS I used to count on it totally. Now I use it in my trip planning. It shows places where there are castles, manor houses, etc. That way I'm able to Google the spot to see if I want to add it to the itinerary.

have a look in WH Smith or Waterstones. They have OS maps usually in order in a rack somewhere. On the back of each is a map of the UK with squares showing the map number for each area. These are very detailed.

You may want the AA Road Map Britain 3, South East England.
It is excellent, and shows all roads.
(I am holding my copy in my hands right now.)
It covers East Sussex.
To save time, enter the code ISBN 978-0-7495-6066-9 in your search. That's the code book publishers use,
and the code bookstores use to order items to stock in their store. (I worked in publishing.)
You will always get the exact book or map you're looking for using the code.
This is a large map, perhaps 3 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide.
One of a series of maps of Britain, each covering a different area.
Good quality paper, color, and details.
It includes 10 city and town close-up maps, and speed camera locations with speed limits.

If you want a detailed regional map that does not weigh a lot, I recommend the:
A to Z Visitors Map of Surrey and Sussex, which you may order on www.amazon.co.uk

I have used A to Z Visitors Maps of other counties and find them extremely helpful.

.

The scale of road map you need to look for and ideal for motoring is around 2.5 miles to 1 inch,
I have one published by AZ, others are available, fuel station shops and supermarkets normally have good maps.

Mine has a spiral spine so that pages keep flat when on your car seat, 11 x15 inch pages, the road maps are normally titled Great Britain & Northern Ireland or Britain and Ireland, l have not seen any specifically for England.

It is nice and clear and as standard these motoring maps will show icons and symbols for viewpoints, museums and monuments plus much more.

Nice extras on a map to have is sat nav friendly pages these are postcodes to locate places of interest that you can tap into your GPS/sat nav.

The ordnance survey maps (approx 1 mile to 1 inch) are works of art and ideal for exploring, hiking, cycling but will be much too detailed for what you want and you'll need more than one for your travel area. Bill Bryson very much likes the OS maps mentioned in one of his books.