Descriptive words on OS maps

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This is a work in progress. Through the Geograph discussion forum we are collecting examples of as many descriptive words as possible used on Ordnance Survey maps, and we want examples of others. We have also worked through OS Mastermap Real World Object Catalogue . This lists anything which can be represented on these maps, as words, abbreviations, symbols or plans. In this article we have selected and illustrated those represented by words.

Note that maps may have changed since the examples were added, so words mentioned may not be on current maps.

Words on maps are of three types.

• Administrative names of local government areas.
• Distinctive names - proper names of places and of items on the ground.
• Descriptive names - generic words defining the character or use of a feature, for example Burial Ground. Some of these are at the site of antiquities not visible on the ground.

In this article we intend to list descriptive names, preferably by themselves, but also as part of a distinctive or administrative name - for example "Palace" usually appears with its name such as "St James's Palace". We intend to list under each distinctive word.

Ordnance Survey has lists of origins of place names in Britain in: Welsh Scots Gaelic and Scandinavian . These webpages for each word have a couple of examples of placenames containing it, with grid references. We have added brief notes on most such words to give an English equivalent. Some words have different meanings in different languages, or in different areas of Britain.

Gaelic names are being added to anglicised versions unless there is no tspace on the map, see Ordnance Survey Gaelic names policy .

For the Isle of Man, there is Local place names in Manx indicating which are of Gaelic or Scandinavian origin, also a substantial 1890 book The surnames and place-names of the Isle of Man . Easier to use, As Manx as the hills has a list, 3rd Manxscrapbook is also useful.

For Orkney, words of Old Norse origin, we have used Orkneyjar - Orkney heritage.

For Shetland there is Shetland Place Names Project. It says names "reflect our strong Norse heritage, with subsequent Scottish and English influences."

We have also used Archi Maps UK in which website you can enter a word or part-word and be given place names in Britain containing it. By subscription, this website has much more information on archaeological sites.

If possible we will give a link to a Geograph photograph of a feature, but until we have one we may give the grid reference at which there is an example.

Many of the words are the expansions shown in Ordnance Survey Abbreviations. Many objects are represented by symbols on 25K and 50K scale maps, with names on 10K maps.

Tourist features have a symbol and blue wording on 25K, wording on blue background on 50K. Water features have blue lettering, this is noted on some examples in this article.

Historical and archaeological features have Gothic wording if non-Roman (before or after the Romans), Sans serif wording for Roman. In this article "non-Roman" may also be described as "historic".

We will refer to map versions by the scale of the corresponding Ordnance Survey paper maps. Discovery maps 1:50,000 (50K), Explorer maps 1:25,000 (25K). LandPlan or VectorMap Local are digital, versions can be printed at scales from 1:3000 to 1:20,000, most often 1:10,000, and we will refer to these as 10K. Most words on 25K maps are also on larger scale maps, so we only note them as 25K.

On each Geograph photo page there is a map under the photo. This map is a section of 50K scale map from about 2008. Clicking on the map opens a new window with a section of current 25K map. From the 25K map, clicking the - sign displays a current 50K map, then to progressively smaller scales including 1:250,000 Road Map. The 25K and 50K maps make extensive use of symbols, and show tourist information.

A

Introduction to words on maps, and scales, is above

Wording	Example	Note
Abattoir	ST6879 : Entrance to the abattoir and Westerleigh Railhead	on 25,50K
Abbey	TQ3079 : Westminster Abbey, London	With Abbey/cathedral symbol on 25K, World Heritage symbol on 50K
Abbey Grounds	SP0202 : Abbey Grounds, Cirencester	on 25K
Aber	SH6172 : The beach at Aber Ogwen	on 25K, Welsh, where river meets sea
Abhainn	NM3697 : Abhainn Sgathaig	on 50K, Gaelic, river
Academy	NY3584 : Langholm Academy	on 25K
Acarsaid	NM0847 : Carrie Anne at the jetty in Acarsaid an Duin	on 50K, Gaelic, anchorage, harbour; also as Acairseid NG5600 : Houses at Acairseid an Rubha
Accommodation	SJ9382 : Moggie Lane, Poynton	on 25K "Accommodation Cottages" built for miners
Ach	NC3762 : Allt Ach a' Chorrain	on 50K, Gaelic, field etc, shortened from Achadh
Achadh	NN0055 : Achadh nan Darach	on 50K, Gaelic, field, agricultural holding
Activity Centre	SD9036 : Coldwell Activity Centre	on 25,50K
Admiralty Distance Poles	NT8869 : The west-north Admiralty Distance Pole on Oatlee Hill	on 25K
Adventure Activities	SD7912 : Burrs Activity Centre	on 25K Tourist site
Adit	NZ6620 : Long Acres Mine Drift	on 10K, horizontal access passage to mine
Aerodrome	NG7933 : Plockton Aerodrome	on 25K
Afon	SH6572 : Afon Aber	on 25K, Welsh river
Agricultural Centre	NJ7718 : Thainstone Agricultural Centre	on 25,50K
Agricultural College	TL6707 : Writtle Agricultural College, Essex	on 25,50K
Aibhne	NC5944 : Lon Achadh na h-Aibhne	on 50K, Gaelic, river, as Abhainn
Aifrinn	NH4845 : Burn beside the track	on 25K, Gaelic from Aifrean, church land
Ailean	NB3022 : Peat Bog near Baile Ailean	on 50K, Gaelic, enclosure, meadow
Aiod	NN0858 : Alltan Mhic Aoidh	on 50K, Gaelic, neck of land
Air Shaft	TR3243 : Ventilation shaft near Guston	on 50K
Air terminal	NF6905 : Barra Airport Terminal Building	on 25,50K by the beach airfield on Barra
Aird	NC7564 : Mulloch an Àird	on 50K, Gaelic, hill, promontory
Airde	NM4753 : 'S Airde Beinn	on 50K, Gaelic, hill, from Aird
Airfield (disused)	NJ2665 : RAF Milltown	on 25,50K
Airfield	NO4998 : Gliding Competition at Aboyne Airfield	on 50K
Airfield	TG2339 : Northrepps Airfield	on 25K Airstrip on 50K
Airigh	NB5358 : Ruined shieling, Cuidhsiadar, Isle of Lewis	on 50K, Gaelic, sheiling
Airport	SV9110 : St Mary's Airport	on 25,50K
Airshaft	SK3380 : Bradway Tunnel Air Shaft	on 25K
Airstrip	TQ1761 : Air strip, Rushett Farm	on 50K, Air Strip on 25K
Aiseig	NG2197 : End of the Road at Aird an Aiseig	on 50K, Gaelic, ferry
Aisir	NN1844 : Coire Chaorach	on 25K, Gaelic, pass
Aisled House	NF7320 : Aisled House	on 25,50K Non-Roman
Aisre	NG7708 : Coire na h-Aisre	on 50K, Gaelic from Aisir, pass
Aisridh	NM8978 : Ridge - An Aisridh Mhòr	on 25K, Gaelic, hill
Ait	TQ1877 : Brentford Ait	on 10K
Allt	NN1870 : Allt Coire Giubhsachan	on 50K, Gaelic, stream
Alltan	NC5167 : Alltan Riabhach	on 50K, Gaelic, small stream
Almshouses	TL9863 : Almshouses	on 25,50K Non-Roman
Altar Stone	NT1535 : Altarstone	on 25K, historic (Altarstone is name of nearby farm)
Aluminium works	NN1275 : Aluminium smelter, Fort William	on 50K
Amar	NN4171 : Amar Srath Ossian	on 50K, Gaelic, trough
Amair	NJ1443 : Lonesome Pine by Allt an Amair	on 25K, Gaelic from Amar, trough
AMPHITHEATRE	ST3390 : Roman Amphitheatre, Caerleon	on 25,50K Tourist site, Roman
Amusement park	SO8071 : Danters Riverside Amusement Park	on 10K
Animal sanctuary	ST2707 : Ferne Animal Sanctuary	on 50K Tourist site.
Annaid	NG4198 : Airighean na h-Annaid on Garbh Eilean, the Shiants	on 50K, Gaelic, early church or church land
Anti-tank Blocks	SN4104 : World War 2 defences	on 25K
Aodainn	NM9098 : Bare rock, Beinn an Aodainn	on 50K, Gaelic from Aodann, (rock) face
Aodann	NM9982 : Aodann Chlèireig	on 50K, Gaelic, (rock) face
Aoidhe	NR9071 : Caisteal Aoidhe	on 25K, Gaelic, neck of land
Aoineadh	NM6451 : Aoineadh Mòr	on 50K, Gaelic, morraine, steep crags
Aonach	NN4574 : Aonach Beag	on 50K, Gaelic, hill, plateau
Apiary	NO7299 : 'The Apiary'	on 25K
Approach lights	HY4708 : Approach lights, Kirkwall Airport	on 10K at HY469082
Aquarium	SZ0890 : Bournemouth Oceanarium	on 25,50K Tourist feature
Aquatic Centre	NZ3958 : Sunderland Aquatic Centre	on 10K
Aqueduct	SY0783 : Aqueduct, East Budleigh	on 25K, on 50K in blue letters see NN7358 : Footbridge over Tummel Bridge aqueduct
Arboretum	SC2781 : The Arboretum at St.John's	on 50K Tourist site
Arch	NM4918 : Carsaig Arches	on 25,50K
Ard	SC4689 : Cashtal yn Ard	on 50K, heights in Manx Gaelic
Area of Shake Holes	SD9970 : Line of shake holes	on 25K There are other 'Area of' entries
Arena	NS6163 : Emirates Arena, Glasgow	On 25K, Sports Arena and Velodrome
Arsenal	TQ4378 : Woolwich Arsenal Station	on 50K, near former arsenal
Art gallery	SJ8495 : Whitworth Park and Art Gallery	on 50K
Artillery Range	SR9295 : Abandoned Farm Buildings, Artillery Range, Flimston	on 25,50K
Arts centre	HY2509 : Pier Arts Centre, Stromness	on 25K Tourist site
Ash (tree)	SU4575 : Towards "Ash"	on 25K A single tree on a parish boundary
Ash lagoon	NT0085 : Valleyfield ash lagoons	on 25K, ash from power station
Assart	SK5869 : Assarts Farm (Meden Vale)	on 50K, farmland from woodland clearance
Assault Course	at TL810851	on 50K at 2008, changed later
Astronomy Centre	NX4039 : Craiglemine Cottage	on 25K
Ath	NM6673 : Ath a' Chaolais	on 25K, Gaelic, ford
Attraction	SO9192 : Brockswood Animal Sanctuary	on 25K as Farm Attraction
Auch	NN3235 : Bridge of Auch	on 50K, anglicised from Gaelic Achadh, field
Auction Ground	TL3994 : Gated entrance to the auction ground	on 25,50K
Auction mart	SD9751 : Skipton Auction Mart	on 25K
Ault	NH6742 : The Ault Na Skiah	on 25K, anglicised from Gaelic Allt, stream
Avalanche Shelter	NG9137 : The avalanche shelters on Lochcarron to Kyle of Lochalsh road	on 25,50K
Avenue	NS5574 : Birch trees, Dougalston Avenue	on 10K, tree-lined street
Ayre	HU3677 : Gluss Ayre	on 10K, Scandinavian origin, shingle beach can form dam, Orkney & Shetland, also Isle of Man NX4303 : The Ayres Beach

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