Ordnance Survey Abbreviations

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This is a work in progress. Through the Geograph discussion forum we are collecting examples of as many abbreviations as possible used on Ordnance Survey maps at 1:25,000 (25K) and 1:50,000 (50K) scales - and we want examples of other abbreviations.

Ordnance Survey lists hundreds of abbreviations; they include abbreviations on historic and large scale maps.

The article OS Symbols - Abbreviations on 50K key gives examples of the few abbreviations in the key on 50K maps.

For each abbreviation in the table below there is its expansion, and whether it appears on 25K or 50K maps or both in the example. Finally there is the title of a Geograph photo showing the item. Click on this to show the photo, its description, and a section of 50K map including the abbreviation. Click on that map section to display the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map at 25K.

Some abbreviations appear in a number of different combinations. For example Coll can be by itself or in "Tech Coll". Abbreviations like dis for "disused", rems for "remains" and Sta for "Station" can appear with several other words or abbreviations. In the list below each abbreviation is given once, with an example of its use.

Whether a word is given in full, abbreviated, or omitted depends on the space available on the map. So in many cases whether an abbreviation appears on both just depends on space. However some items given as words on 50K maps have standard symbols on 25K maps - e.g. Recreation Centre.

Abbreviation	Expansion	25K	50K	Example	Note
Allot Gdns	Allotment	X		SE4380 : Allotment Gardens, Sowerby	In: Allot Gdns
Bks	Barracks		X	SU8752 : Barracks in Aldershot
BP	Boundary Post	X		TL1878 : Boundary Post Upton
Br	Bridge		X	ST3186 : Newport Transporter Bridge	In: Transporter Bridge
BS	Boundary Stone	X		SJ9492 : Werneth Bredbury Boundary Stone
Cath	Cathedral		X	NZ2742 : Late evening light on Durham Cathedral
Cemy	Cemetery	X	X	TL4859 : Cambridge City Cemetery, Newmarket Road
CG	Cattle Grid		X	NN7268 : The "track" up Meall a' Chathaidh	The grid is on the road across the photo
CG	Coast Guard		X	TF9145 : Coastguard Lookout	In: CG Sta
CH	Club House	X	X	TQ9956 : Faversham Golf Club
Chy	Chimney	X	X	TQ8172 : Chimney of Kingsnorth Power Station
Coll	College		X	TL4561 : Cambridge Regional College
Crem	Crematorium	X	X	SO9190 : Gornal Wood Crematorium, near Dudley
Cse	Course		X	SU9577 : Windsor race course	In: Race Cse
Ct	Court	X		SJ9398 : Tameside Magistrates and County Courts
dis	disused	X	X	SY6969 : Disused quarry, near Southwell, Portland	In: Quarries (dis)
dismtd	dismantled		X	SP3665 : Offchurch Cutting	In: dismtd rly
El Sub Sta	Electricity Sub Station	X	X	TG2406 : Electricity sub-station in Trowse
Ex	Exchange	X		NJ9341 : Auchnagatt Telephone Exchange	In: Tel Ex
F	Fire	X		TL1860 : Fire & Ambulance Stations, Huntingdon Street	In: F Sta
FB	Footbridge	X		NN9895 : Footbridge near the Corrour bothy - 2
Fm	Farm		X	TL5862 : Vicarage Farm, Swaffham Prior	In: Vicarage Farm
Gd	Ground	X		TQ2905 : Hove Recreation Ground	In: Recn Gd
Gdns	Gardens	X		SE4380 : Allotment Gardens, Sowerby	In: Allot Gdns
Govt	Government	X	X	ST1781 : Government offices, Llanishen, Cardiff	In: Govt Offices
H	Hydraulic	X		SS5339 : Hydraulic Ram near Patsford	In: Hydraulic Ram
H M	Her Majesty's	X	X	SX5874 : Dartmoor Prison front door	e.g. in: Her Majesty's Prison
HM	Her Majesty's	X		SU6201 : HMS Glasgow berthed at Portsmouth Dockyard	25K has HM Naval Base (no space between letters)
HMYOI	Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution		X	NS9178 : Polmont Young Offenders institution
Ho	House		X	TL4874 : The Burystead manor house, Wilburton, Cambs	In: Manor House
Hospl	Hospital		X	SP3168 : 64-slice CT scanner at the Warwickshire Nuffield Hospital, Blackdown
HQ	Head Quarters	X		NH6844 : Northern Constabulary Headquarters, Inverness	In: Police HQ
Infmy	Infirmary		X	NY3856 : Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle
IRB	Inshore Rescue Boat	X	X	SN5881 : Aberystwyth Lifeboat Station	In: IRB Sta
LB	Lifeboat	X	X	SW3526 : Sennen Cove Lifeboat	In: LB Sta
LC	Level Crossing		X	TL5957 : Westley Bottom level crossing
Liby	Library	X	X	TL4458 : Cambridge University Library
LRTS	Light Rail Transit System	X		SK5448 : Tram at Butlers Hill stop
Meml	Memorial		X	SN5781 : Aberystwyth War Memorial
Mkt	Market	X		SJ9399 : Ashton Market
Mon	Monument	X	X	SU4029 : The monument at Farley Mount
MP	Mile Post	X	X	NM5137 : Rustic Mile Post
MS	Mile Stone	X	X	SU3468 : Mile stone
Mus	Museum		X	TL4459 : Folk Museum, Northampton Street
NTL	Normal Tidal Limit	X		SX7444 : Head of Bowcombe Creek
Obsy	Observatory		X	SY1388 : Norman Lockyer Observatory Sidmouth Devon
P	Passenger	X	X	SX8851 : Kingswear: the passenger ferry from Dartmouth	In: Ferry P
P	Post Office		X	ST4541 : Meare: the post office/stores	PO on 25K
PC	Public Convenience	X	X	SU2408 : Public toilets at Bolderwood car park, New Forest
PH	Public House		X	TR0150 : The Halfway House Pub at the Challock roundabout
PO	Post Office	X		ST4541 : Meare: the post office/stores	P on 50K
Pol	Police	X		TL1860 : Police Station, Dovehouse Close	In: Pol Sta
Pp	Pump	X		TL5799 : Pump house by the Old Bedford River	In: Pp Ho
Ppg	Pumping	X		TL4482 : Pumping station from the bank of the Old Bedford River	In: Ppg Sta
R	Rifle		X	TL0689 : Oundle School Rifle Range	In: R Range (Red lettering)
R	River		X	TQ5375 : River Darent	In: River Darent
Recn	Recreation		X	SU4402 : Gang Warily Community Centre, Hants	In: Recn Centre
rems	remains		X	TL7280 : Remains of St Peter's Church, Eriswell	In: Church (rems of)
Resr	Reservoir	X		NY4078 : Covered Reservoir
rly	railway		X	SP3665 : Offchurch Cutting	In: dismtd rly
Sch	School	X	X	TQ8065 : Rainham Girls School	Sch on 50K, plural Schs on 25K
Sl	Sluice		X	TF5801 : The A G Wright Sluice	Named on 25K
Spr	Spring	X		SP0133 : Spring rising	Blue lettering
Sta	Station	X	X	TF9145 : Wells Lifeboat Station	Here in: Lifeboat Sta
Tech	Technical	X	X	SP3278 : Development at the Tech	In: Tech Coll
Tel	Telephone	X		NJ9341 : Auchnagatt Telephone Exchange	In: Tel Ex
TH	Town Hall	X	X	SZ0891 : Bournemouth Town Hall
Twr	Tower	X	X	TL2717 : Bull's Green Water Tower	In: Water Tower
Univ	University	X	X	SN5981 : Belltower and Arts Centre, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
V	Vehicle		X	SX8851 : Lower vehicle ferry across the Dart	In: Ferry V
W	Well	X		NY7868 : 19th century well on English side of Hadrian's wall at Housesteads Fort	Blue letter
Wks	Works		X	TL5454 : Fleam Dyke Pumping Station
Wr	Water	X	X	TL2717 : Bull's Green Water Tower	In: Water Tower
				[[]]

Many thanks to Geograph contributors who have suggested examples.