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To get the six-figure grid reference, you have to imagine that the four-figure square is further divided up into tenths. The numbered squares on the diagram above have the following four-figure grid references: When giving a four-figure grid reference, you should always give the eastings number first and the northings number second, very much like when giving the reading of a graph in school, where you give the x coordinate first followed by the y.Īn easy way to remember this is that to get the first number, you go along the corridor (horizontal, x axis, eastings) and then up the stairs (vertical, y axis, northings).įor example, the number 2 in the diagram below is square 19 across and square 45 up and therefore, the four-figure grid reference is ‘1945’. GPS devices often specify at least eight-digit grid reference numbers. In practice, it’s the six-digit grid reference number that is most commonly used, although the more digits used gives you a more precise location.
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The numbers going across the map from left to right are called eastings, and go up in value eastwards, and the numbers going up the map from bottom to top are called northings, because they go up in a northward direction.
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#Find os map reference plus
There are four main first letters: ‘S’, ‘T’, ‘N’ and ‘H’ covering Great Britain, plus an ‘O’ square covering a tiny part of North Yorkshire that is usually below tide.Ī unique National Grid reference should have this two-letter descriptor followed by the grid reference numbers within that square. The first letter, for example ‘S’, denotes 500 km by 500 km squares and this is subdivided into 25 squares that are 100 km by 100 km within it, making ‘ST’, ‘SU’, ‘SO’ and so on. The two-letter codes can be found printed in faint-blue capitals on Ordnance Survey maps and can also be found in the map key. Ordnance Survey divides Great Britain into 100 km by 100 km squares, each with a two-letter code. The National Gridīefore we look at what the grid reference numbers mean, it’s important to understand the wider picture of the National Grid. While the correct term for these is ‘National Grid reference’, these terms all mean the same thing however, as we’ll see, grid references can be given in a number of different formats. You may find a variety of terms used to describe National Grid references, such as ‘OS grid ref’, ‘grid reference’, ‘OS map ref’ or simply just ‘map reference’.
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This is a simple way of finding points and places on a map, to give to others as a meeting location or to quote if you get into trouble and need to specify exactly where you are.
#Find os map reference series
A series of faint blue lines on every map makes up a numbered grid that is used to create the National Grid reference. National Grid references are used to accurately pinpoint your location on an Ordnance Survey map.
#Find os map reference how to
Ordnance Survey explain how to use grid references and the romer scale on a compass
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