Magnetic north, which has been a few degrees west of grid north in the UK for several years now, is slowly shifting to the east according to Ordinance Survey.
There are three norths that regular navigators will be familiar with: grid, magnetic and true. Grid north is the direction of a grid line that is parallel to the central meridian on the National Grid – the system of reference on Ordinance Survey maps.
True north is the direction of a meridian of longitude, while magnetic north is the direction a magnetic compass points to. This latter north is affected by changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and therefore shifts very slowly. It now lies east, not west of grid north in parts of south west Britain for the first time in over 220 years of map making.
Ordinance Survey has created custom made maps to help you with navigating, and there’s also a website where you can calculate north on your trips.
Rob Fearn
Editor - Alan Rogers Guides
Rob is the General Manager at Alan Rogers Travel Group, he is responsible for the ongoing development of the Alan Rogers website and publication of the Alan Rogers Guides.
He has been involved in the leisure industry since completing a BTEC in Travel & Tourism in 1993. Previous roles have included the promotion of tourism in Yorkshire and running a motorcycle touring company in the Australian Outback.
