Getting to grips with maps and grid references (NGRs)
The British National Grid System
Archaeologists use maps and the national grid reference system every day. This is the principal way by which we locate sites, finds and monuments on the ground, and describe location in reports, correspondence, and databases. They are clearly of great importance to us and our work. Grid references describe a location in a consistent manner. It may be useful to you to use this guide if you are visiting us on one of our excavations, you want to ask us for some information, or provide us with information about a site or find, Getting to grips with NGRs will be helpful.
The National Grid System
The UK is covered by a grid made up of 100 km squares. An illustration of this is shown on the first slide below. The grid further divides in to 10km, 1km and 1m square shown and is described in the slides below.
Using maps to locate places and features in the landscape
In every-day life you may have used grid references, when out hiking, or to describe the location of a specific place or point of interest. If you have not used grid references, you almost certainly have used a map to find your way, or to describe a location to others: “meet at the memorial cross, it’s near the village school”, if it is at a place that you do not know, you may have used a map to describe your meeting place and those that you are meeting will use a map to understand what you have described.
