Geography: Exploring cartography and mapmaking

Come back to geography class for the evening with the teacher you wish you’d had, Nicholas Crane, presenter of acclaimed BBC series Coast

Reawaken your interest in geography at this incredible evening class with Nicholas Crane, president of the Royal Geographical Society. In the space of two hours, you’ll explore the history of the modern map – from prehistoric mental maps to the birth of scientific mapmaking in the 16th century.

Over the course of the evening, Nicholas will draw upon his extensive experience as an author and presenter on acclaimed BBC programmes such as Coast. He’ll discuss some of the spectacular journeys he’s taken that were entirely dependent on modern maps, including a bicycle trip around Asia, a walk from one end of England to the other, and a 10,000 kilometre trek across Europe on foot. By the end of the class, you’ll have a renewed appreciation of the principles of cartography, and the adventures that are possible by reading maps as exciting ‘documents of possibility’.

More about your teacher…

Nicholas Crane is a geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster. Since 2005, he has been the lead presenter on more than 80 BBC programmes, including the BAFTA-winning series Coast, Map Man and Great British Journeys. His books include Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet and Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk across Europe. Nicholas is currently working on a history of the British landscape, to be published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2016.

Back to school is a range of evening classes covering the subjects you once enjoyed, or always wanted to learn. Browse the full range here.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website