About us

OS location intelligence helps everyone see a better place

Ordnance Survey (OS) is Great Britain’s National Mapping Service

Our trusted location data and expertise is helping to build a modern digital Britain and show the world how to see a better place; by creating sustainable, healthy, and connected societies.

Whether it’s managing climate change risk, helping more people to enjoy healthier lives, or connecting people to public services, our customers are using location intelligence to get a greater understanding of the future and shape the places we live in.

  • What we do

    We create, maintain, and distribute detailed location information for Great Britain. We record and manage 500 million geospatial features in the National Geographic Database (NGD).

  • Directors

    Our thought leaders are re-imagining and re-thinking the use of geospatial on the global stage, to improve our everyday lives. Meet the decision-makers here at OS.

  • Our values

    We're passionate about the four values at the core of Ordnance Survey.

The history of OS

We’ve been mapping Great Britain since 1791, innovating for over 230 years and always evolving to meet the needs of the nation. Read our story for yourself.

OS history

Historical map and survey archives

You can get some historical maps from our map shop, and a whole range of historical products from our Partners.

Historical map archives