From one revolution to another

Two revolutions link the history of Ordnance Survey. The first engulfed France during the late eighteenth century – with Britain fearing invasion as a result. Today, Ordnance Survey is at the heart of a technological revolution with e-business and computer mapping transforming business and public services.

It was back in 1791 that the Government realised that in planning adequate defences to repel any invasion, the South Coast of England needed to be comprehensively and accurately mapped. So it instructed its Board of Ordnance – the defence ministry of its day – to speed the necessary survey work.

That historic decision led to the mapping the whole country in detail, and is also the source of the intriguing name 'Ordnance Survey' – an organisation which eventually grew to become the world's leading map-maker and a major provider of digital geographical information.

Today it is a dynamic, self-financing £100-million-a-year civilian organisation at the forefront of the e-business revolution, producing computer data products and paper maps for business, leisure, administrative and educational use. It is still part of the UK Government, but it covers its operating costs by selling its products and services or licensing others to use its copyright material.

Since 1999 Ordnance Survey has had government 'Trading Fund' status, giving it more responsibility for its own finances and planning and more freedom to develop new initiatives.

Surveying the fast-changing landscape

Ordnance Survey’s current workforce of around 1,500 people includes around 300 surveyors who constantly measure and record the changing British landscape.

They use high-tech measuring equipment to gather information, including state-of-the-art theodolite 'total stations' with lasers to measure distances and hand-held pen computers on which the latest changes can be plotted. Details are recorded as fine as the shapes of individual buildings, the precise alignment of roads and pavements and the exact location of public telephone boxes.

Surveying staff also pinpoint precise locations at ground level by using Global Positioning System (GPS) receiving equipment to lock on to signals from a network of 24 orbiting satellites.

Ordnance Survey has a national network of around 100 base stations which constantly transmit their GPS-observed positions to a central processing hub. The network provides real-time positional accuracy down to centimetre level, a huge efficiency boost in data collection. Previously thousands of triangulation stations – including the familiar concrete ‘trig pillars’ on high ground – were the bedrock for positioning calculations, but this method has now been superseded.

Information gathered by ground staff is complemented by an intensive programme of aerial photography, particularly of rural areas, which can be viewed in 3-D. The resulting high-definition images – which show detail as sharp as the pattern of road markings – can then be overlaid with existing map data to check where features have changed so that instant updates can be recorded.

All the new information from both ground and air surveys is added to a giant database at Ordnance Survey's Southampton head office. The result is a vast electronic map covering the whole of Britain, which is updated with an average of 5,000 changes are made every day – well over a million updates every year. Extracts of the latest 'edition' can be accessed instantly by the public through almost 100 computer-linked specialist retail outlets known as Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centres.

This speed of updating is a dramatic example of how computers have revolutionised map-making and the collection of geographical information.

Already a world-leading map resource, the database is being further enhanced to make it even easier for other people's information to be integrated in to it, held as separate layers, or linked to Ordnance Survey mapping. The whole multi-million project has now established a seamless information base which underpins a new generation of detailed data called OS MasterMap.

Data from OS MasterMap offers definitive, consistent and maintained referencing to more than 440 million man-made and natural landscape features in Britain. They include everything from forests, roads and rivers down to individual houses, garden plots, and even pillar boxes.

In addition to this topographic mapping, entire new layers of information are being added progressively to OS MasterMap, such as aerial photographic images which precisely match the mapping; data providing the addresses of all properties; and integrated transport information.  This is creating what is believed to be the most detailed and sophisticated geographical information resource for any country in the world.

The investment in this new generation of data supports the vision of Ordnance Survey's Director General and Chief Executive, Vanessa Lawrence, that Ordnance Survey and its partners will be the content provider of choice for location-based information in the new information economy.

Britain's favourite maps

To the public, Ordnance Survey is best known for its paper maps. In fact, there are around 650 different recreational and leisure maps alone, together covering every corner of Britain – however remote.

Computers have transformed how such maps are made and updated. Creating them on screen rather than by hand means they can be 'drawn' more quickly and revised more frequently than ever before. It also means that maps can be delivered in more innovative ways. For example, full-sized customised leisure maps centred on the user’s choice of location – maybe their home or a favourite place – can now be previewed online for free and bought via Ordnance Survey’s website (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk) as part of the OS Select service.

Perhaps the best known of Ordnance Survey's paper maps range is the 1:50 000 scale OS Landranger Map series, selling almost two million copies a year. In all, 204 sheets cover every part of the country; each packed with information so the user can plan a perfect day out and get to know an area really well. Instantly recognisable by their distinctive pink covers, all OS Landranger Maps cover 40 km by 40 km (25 miles by 25 miles) of town and country and all are at the scale of 2 cm to 1 km (1¼ inches to 1 mile).

For those wanting to discover an area on foot, by cycle or on horseback, the whole country is covered by 403 OS Explorer Maps. These orange-covered maps are at the larger 1:25,000 scale (4 cm to 1 km, or 2½ inches to 1 mile) and show details such as areas of open access land and the precise routes of public footpaths and bridleways as well as pinpointing recreational facilities and tourist attractions. They are the essential maps for outdoor activities.

Also available is a series of OS Travel Maps for motorists and others on the move. Eight regional Road Maps and one national routeplanner sheet make journey-planning simple. Each map includes a place-names index and key tourist facilities are clearly marked on every sheet. There are also a growing number of Tour Maps for people visiting key holiday areas in Britain.

Ordnance Survey maps can be bought at thousands of shops, information centres and other outlets, some selling the complete range and others stocking titles appropriate to their area.

The Internet also offers free and instant access to leisure maps, as users can download motoring-style mapping along with extracts of any OS Landranger or OS Explorer map from Ordnance Survey's website.  There they can also preview or buy hundreds of leisure maps on-line and search a free, giant place-names gazetteer for particular locations. Credit card users can also order maps by phone on 0845 200 2712.

Anyone needing to identify which maps are needed to cover a specific area, or wanting more details of where to buy them, can consult the website or phone Ordnance Survey Customer Enquiries on 08456 05 05 05 (local call rate) for advice.

Digital map data – bringing maps to life

Although best known for its paper maps, computer data actually accounts for around nine tenths of Ordnance Survey’s business.  It is an aspect which is growing fast, as both the public and private sectors increasingly need an accurate, reliable geographic framework to help them deliver effective and efficient services.

This is especially so in an era of e-business, where there is a growing requirement for location-based services – through mobile phones and other wireless devices, the Internet, in-vehicle navigation and interactive television.

Ordnance Survey’s national database and the development of OS MasterMap are allowing the creation of new and highly innovative products to meet the needs of business and public administration.

More and more companies and public services are using computer-based geographical information systems (GIS) and web-enabled services which allow the rapid integration and analysis of information from many sources, effectively bringing maps to life in an interactive way.

As 80% of all information collected in Britain has some geographic feature – for example a postcode or a National Grid map reference – the potential for electronically linking and analysing different sets of information is enormous. Now the development of Ordnance Survey's OS MasterMap data has included the creation of more than 440 million unique numerical identifiers (called TOIDS) for every feature of the British landscape.  Each is an individual 'hook' to which vast amounts of additional information can be linked.

Already, Ordnance Survey data is used by a huge range of public bodies, from the web-based Transport Direct travel service to the pinpointing of derelict land for house building; from identifying areas of deprivation to planning new access to the countryside; and from controlling the flow of urban traffic to helping the police detect crime patterns and catch offenders.

And the uses in the private sector are enormous, ranging from targeting marketing effort to calculating insurance risks; and from providing location-based services on mobile phones to developing in-car navigation and transport logistics systems.

In fact, so vital is Ordnance Survey's data to both the public and private sectors that an independent study has calculated that around £100 billion worth of economic activity in Britain is dependent on it!

In addition to making data products available direct to customers, Ordnance Survey is committed to achieving increased use of its digital information through an ever-growing number of business partners.

Many such partners already carry out a range of commercial activities including publishing, data reselling, the provision of customised data and the creation of entirely new products ranging from in-car navigation packages to web directories.

For example, one partner uses Ordnance Survey data to produce a package to help monitor and tackle pollution patterns, while others have created software to help plan cost-effective distribution by haulage companies. And the progressive introduction of a new generation of mobile phones is opening up huge new opportunities for partner products for mass market location-based services.

In addition, many traditional publishers rely on Ordnance Survey data in producing atlases, street maps, tourist guides and other publications. Partners also include the many retail agents in the Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centres network strategically located around the country, each linked to Ordnance Survey's database so they can supply customers with the very latest mapping on demand.

There is also a developer partner programme to encourage innovation by individual entrepreneurs as well as private companies. People with bright ideas for how data might be used in new products or services pay a small up-front fee; in return they receive large amounts of geographical data and support from Ordnance Survey to help them transform concepts into marketable products which they can then exploit commercially under licence.

Data checklist

These are just some of Ordnance Survey's current computer data products:

OS MasterMap – revolutionary database and online service featuring the most detailed and flexible digital mapping of Britain ever created. Specifically designed to be used a fully integrated corporate resource. Around half a billion features carry unique computer-friendly numbers so other people’s data can be linked to them quickly and easily for instant analysis. Invaluable for a multitude of business uses, especially in the rapidly-growing field of location-based services. Data held in themed layers so that users can pick and mix the exact type and extent of the information they need. The layers are called Topography, Imagery, Integrated Transport Network and Address. The Address Layer and Address Layer 2 includes data for the rapid pinpointing of more than 26 million individual postal addresses in Britain. It is a vital tool for the emergency services, utility companies and both central and local government, all of which need an instant, direct link between addresses and their actual location.

OS Sitemap  - The latest site-centred highly-detailed mapping available printed out on paper, or as data on floppy disk, CD-ROM, via email or online, all through retail outlets in the Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centre network. It is extensively used for planning and design purposes, especially by architects, engineers and construction companies.

Landplan Data - a desktop data product ideal for property professionals such as architects, civil engineers, construction companies and estate managers. Landplan Data enables detailed analysis of project sites from 1 km² to 25 km² anywhere in Great Britain based on up-to-date survey information. It is the largest scale of Ordnance Survey raster data to show contours, providing an excellent overview of the lie of the land. Fences, field boundaries, road names and buildings are also included. Landplan Data is delivered by email from a seamless database so users can choose precisely where they want their extract centred. It is available through Ordnance Survey Options, who already offer a paper plot version of Landplan at the same 1: 10 000 scale.

Points of Interest data – a location-based database developed for use in both civic and commercial applications made up of over 3.5 million features, businesses and leisure sites throughout Britain. Grouped into 56 categories and 750 classes of information, the Points of Interest database provides more pinpointed detail than any other single location-based database available in the country.                                                                                                                                          

Land-Form PROFILE and Land-Form PROFILE Plus – Landscape height information which can be used to produce 3-D images on computer screens, particularly useful for planning, environmental impact assessments or to identify potential flood areas.

Meridian 2, Strategi and MiniScale – a range of digital mapping at smaller scales which, with their different levels of detail, are ideal for planning purposes, project work and analytical tasks.

Boundary-Line – the complete range of administrative and electoral boundary data in Britain from civil parishes and communities through to parliamentary and European constituencies.

Raster data – 'Backdrop' computer mapping data at a variety of scales - right up to street level - which can be viewed on-screen and on to which a user's own information can be electronically overlaid - for example, the location of branch offices or regular delivery points. There is also a 1:50,000 scale Gazetteer on CD-ROM which pinpoints and references more than 250,000 places and features named on OS Landranger maps and the related raster data.

Historical Map Data –  Scanned, detailed historical mapping from the nineteenth century onwards which can be overlaid with modern map data to track changes to the landscape, identifying former land uses. This service is the result of a joint venture with Landmark Information Group Ltd.

Intriguing map facts

• The first Ordnance Survey map was published in 1801 – it was of the County of Kent and was drawn at a scale of 1 inch to 1 mile. It is now one of more than a million old maps in Ordnance Survey's archives.
• The first large-scale Ordnance Survey map was converted to computer form in 1973 and by 1995 the last of the 230,000 maps was digitised. As a result, Britain became the first country in the world to complete a national 'electronic jigsaw' of highly-detailed maps.
• More than 440 million different features of the British landscape are now mapped in detail in Ordnance Survey’s database, and every one of them has been allocated a ‘TOID’ – a unique computer-friendly number – as part of the OS MasterMap project.
• Around 5,000 updates are made every day to Ordnance Survey’s most detailed mapping of Britain, so fast does the landscape change.
• Two types of Ordnance Survey map - the Explorer series and Landplan – were chosen as 'Millennium Products' by the Design Council: a national accolade for well-designed, innovative products and services for the twenty-first century.
• Up to five million paper maps are printed every year on the giant presses at Ordnance Survey's Southampton head office.
• Ordnance Survey transport data reveals that there are 321,000 miles of motorable road in Britain - enough to encircle the equator 13 times!  There are 800,000 road names, the most frequently occurring being 'High Street' – there are more than 1,000 of them.
• Although Ordnance Survey's main focus is Britain, its expertise has been sought across the world. Over the years, it has carried out work in 60 overseas countries on four continents.
• There are more than 26 million letterboxes across Britain – the location of the individual household and business addresses are listed and geographically pinpointed in the most detailed Ordnance Survey data.
• Ordnance Survey has measured the length of mainland Britain’s coastline as 11,072 miles at high tide.  But it is only 602 miles as the crow flies from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
• The curious name ‘Ordnance Survey’ comes from the Board of Ordnance – the 18th century equivalent of the Ministry of Defence – which commissioned a survey of the south coast in 1791 so maps could be prepared to repel a feared invasion by Napoleon.

Public contact details

For more information about Ordnance Survey, the public can contact Ordnance Survey online at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk; phoning Customer Enquiries on 08456 05 05 05 (local call rate); e-mailing customerservices@ordnancesurvey.co.uk; or writing to Customer Enquiries, Ordnance Survey, Romsey Road, SOUTHAMPTON, SO16 4GU.

Media contact details

Journalists requiring more information or photographs should contact:

Scott Sinclair - Head of Corporate Communications
Email: scott.sinclair@ordnancesurvey.co.uk
Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2265
Fax: (+44) 023 8030 5295

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A selection of photographs which can be used to illustrate aspects of Ordnance Survey's work can be viewed and downloaded from the Photographs area. Current and archived news releases are also available for copying and pasting as required.

All Ordnance Survey mapping is Crown copyright ©, but arrangements are in place to allow newspapers, magazines and television companies to used limited amounts to illustrate articles free of charge. Please telephone the Press Office for details.

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