Ordnance Survey puts a new development name on the map – in memory of a fallen soldier
Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, who came from Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. His local community was keen to do something in his honour, and some years later, with the support of Ashfield District Council, a new housing development of 16 houses has just been named after him.
The site - now known as Adrian Sheldon View - was recently surveyed by Ordnance Survey (OS) field surveyor Richard Bailey-Wiles using a process involving a GNSS sensor and satellites.
Adrian’s mother Diane Sheldon was then invited to join Richard on site to push the button, entering the final details, including the name, into OS’s digital map of GB.
She said: “It’s amazing that Adrian Sheldon View is now officially on the Ordnance Survey map and there for everyone to see. The idea to name a street after Adrian was first talked about three years ago and now it is here. This is just the icing on the cake.”
Richard, who is also a Kirkby resident, said:
“I take great pride in maintaining the map for my part of the country and even more so when it’s my local town. The idea for a street to be named after Adrian came from the community some years ago and I have been following the idea ever since. I’m delighted to see how this has come to fruition and to help Diane put this name on the map in memory of her son.”
Councillor Tom Hollis, Ashfield District Council’s Executive Lead for Strategic Housing and Climate Change, said: “This is a special street for us as a Council and we are proud to see it take its place on the Ordnance Survey map. It has been fascinating to hear the process and find out more about the history of Ordnance Survey.”
OS, which has been surveying Britain since 1791, is the country’s national mapping service. It provides the most comprehensive and accurate geographical address data in GB both through NGD Address in the OS National Geographic Database (updated daily) and its AddressBase range of products. OS provides over 35 million residential and commercial addresses with Unique Property Reference Numbers and links to Royal Mail data. Its information is free for public sector organisations under the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement.
OS is also a strong and long-standing supporter of the Armed Forces. It established an Armed Forces Network and signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2024. It achieved the prestigious Gold Award from the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme last August.
For more information about OS address data, visit AddressBase data products and support and OS NGD Address
To find out more about field surveying at OS, visit What Ordnance Survey Field Surveyors do.
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