Ordnance Survey
National mapping agency for Great Britain.
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National mapping agency
Organisation, usually publicly owned, that produces topographic maps and geographic information of a country.
Organisation, usually publicly owned, that produces topographic maps and geographic information of a country.
The first national mapping agency was the Ordnance Survey in the United Kingdom; its roots go back to 1747, when the compilation of a map of the Scottish Highlands was proposed.
William Roy
Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian.
Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian.
It was Roy's advocacy and leadership that led to the creation of the Ordnance Survey in 1791, the year after his death.
British Geological Survey
Partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research.
Partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research.
It remained a branch of the Ordnance Survey for many years.
Surveying
Technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them.
Technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them.
In 1784, a team from General William Roy's Ordnance Survey of Great Britain began the Principal Triangulation of Britain.
Ordnance Survey National Grid
System of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, distinct from latitude and longitude.
System of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, distinct from latitude and longitude.
The Ordnance Survey (OS) devised the national grid reference system, and it is heavily used in their survey data, and in maps based on those surveys, whether published by the Ordnance Survey or by commercial map producers.
Southampton
Port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England.
Port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England.
Some notable employers in the city include the University of Southampton, Ordnance Survey, BBC South, Associated British Ports and Carnival UK.
Ordnance Survey Ireland
National mapping agency of Ireland.
National mapping agency of Ireland.
It and the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) are the ultimate successors to the Irish operations of the British Ordnance Survey.
Triangulation station
Fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity.
Fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity.
In the United Kingdom, trig points are typically concrete pillars and were erected by the Ordnance Survey.
Contour line
Curve along which the function has a constant value, so that the curve joins points of equal value.
Curve along which the function has a constant value, so that the curve joins points of equal value.
By around 1843, when the Ordnance Survey started to regularly record contour lines in Great Britain and Ireland, they were already in general use in European countries.
Royal Engineers
Corps of the British Army.
Corps of the British Army.
Although mapping by what became the Ordnance Survey was born out of military necessity it was soon realised that accurate maps could be also used for civil purposes.