Mean low water mark

Dear Requester

Request for information – FOI12293

Thank you for your e-mail of 29^th May 2012, requesting:

'Northumberland County Council’s Administrative boundary on the East Coast (confirmed by themselves) is The Mean Low Water Mark as shown on your maps. Could you let me know the height of the tide for the MLW as depicted on your maps? They seem to be unable to provide this information themselves….. which surprises me?

I believe anything beyond the MLW to the 12 mile limit belongs to the Crown! Is this also correct?'

Ordnance Survey is able to advise that mean low water level is depicted at zero, but depiction is dependent on the time at which the information is captured, as Ordnance Survey maps are topographic in nature therefore they reflect the information captured at the time of survey.

I regret to inform you that Ordnance Survey is unable to assist you with your second point because this information is not held.

The reason this information is not held is because it is not within the remit of Ordnance Survey, as the national mapping agency of Great Britain, to advise on administrative boundaries or ownership of the Crown. Ordnance Survey maps do not depict ownership of land or property.

Under our duty to provide advice and assistance (section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act), we advise that you may like to contact the UK Hydrographic Office to determine if they are able to assist you further in this instance.  You may contact them as follows:

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Admiralty Way
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 2DN
United Kingdom
Customer Services telephone: 01823 723366

Email: customerservices@ukho.gov.uk

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Ordnance Survey
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