7th Series
The 7th Series (OS7) is a complete set of 1-inch-to-the-mile mapping of Great Britain, published by the Ordnance Survey in the 1950/1960s. The sheets may be used for tracing when their copyright lapses. Unlike the New Popular Edition, the coverage is incomplete because only a subset of sheets has entered the public domain.
The accuracy of the maps varies from much less than 20m to some upper limit error (under investigation). A group of tools, Warp-gbos, was developed to enable high resolution rectification of multiple map sheet scans.
Using in OSM
As they become available the scans and rectified tiles can be accessed through both Potlatch, JOSM and other editors. The suggested tagging for tracing from the OS 7th series maps is source=OS7.
View Online using OpenLayers slippy map. Alternative
Potlatch: just choose "OS 7th Series historic" from the background menu.
JOSM: In newer versions, simply activate the "7th Series (OS7)" layer in the Edit->Preferences->WMS/TMS tab (for older versions you may have to add the layer using the Imagery URL-- tms:http://ooc.openstreetmap.org/os7/{zoom}/{x}/{y}.jpg). You can now select the layer when editing using the 'Imagery' menu.
(Please note the WMS layer is now dead - please update to the TMS URL.)
Merkaartor: TmsServer minzoom="6" maxzoom="14" path="/os7/%1/%2/%3.jpg" address="ooc.openstreetmap.org" name='OS 1" Seventh Series' tilesize="256"
License
You can trace as much as you like from these maps and then do whatever you like with the tracings - commercial or otherwise. For other uses, consult the "official" page with licensing information. The licensing of the images is CC BY-NC 3.0. The original OS copyright has lapsed because crown copyright has a 50 year duration [1].
National Library of Scotland Seventh Series mosaic
From March 2012, the Ordnance Survey One-Inch to the mile Seventh Series of Great Britain (1952-1961) is newly available as individual sheets at the National Library of Scotland. They are not directly accessible as OSM compatible tiles, but instead use the following code :
var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM(
"OS Seventh Series",
"http://geo.nls.uk/mapdata2/os/seventh/${z}/${x}/${y}.png"
);
layer.getXYZ = function( bounds ) {
var xyz = OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.prototype.getXYZ.apply(this, arguments);
xyz['y'] = (Math.pow(2,xyz['z'])-xyz['y']-1);
return xyz;
}
Please contact the NLS first before using the tiles on a public facing website.
Coverage
The map below shows the current coverage of out of copyright 7th series.
Coming Soon (To a Layer Near You)
| Sheet | Edition | Source File | Assigned To | Calibration File | Comments on Accuracy, etc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medium term: 1, 24, 26, 27, 33, 34, 45, 46, 47, 49, 54
Calibration Needed
| Sheet | Edition | Source File | Assigned To | Calibration File | Comments on Accuracy, etc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
People interested in calibrating map sheets (requires human effort, linux and a large amount of RAM): TimSC, ...
Sheets Included in Layer
| Sheet | Edition | Comments on Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1958, © 1958, Fully revised 1957 | |
| 6 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1957 | |
| 7 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1957 | |
| 8 | 1960, © 1960, Fully revised 1956-58 | |
| 9 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 10 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 11 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 12 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956-1957 | |
| 14 | 1958, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 15 | 1958, © 1958, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 16 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 17 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | Looks like there might be a problem with the St Kilda Inset. It might be substantially ENE. Chillly 20:02, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
It looks like the OS7 map is 200m out from OSM and PGS, but I suspect OS7 is actually more accurate (50m or less + survey error, I hope). I wonder if there is a way of confirming this, and possibly translate the OSM data to be more like OS7?--TimSC 17:19, 4 January 2010 (UTC) |
| 18 | 1960, © 1960, Fully revised 1956-57 | |
| 21 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1955-1956 | |
| 22 | 1958, © 1958, Fully revised 1955-1956 | |
| 23 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 25 | 1956, fully revised 1955 | |
| 29 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1955 | |
| 30 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1955 | |
| 31 | 1958, © 1958, fully revised 1955 | |
| 32 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1956 | |
| 39 | 1958, fully revised 1955 | |
| 42 | 1958, fully revised 1955 | |
| 43 | 1958, © 1958, fully revised 1955-1956 | |
| 44 | 1955, fully revised 1954 | |
| 47 | 1956, Fully revised 1956-1957, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 48 | 1956, Fully revised 1954, corrections 1959 | |
| 53 | 1956, fully revised 1954, corrections 1958 | Seems quite poor (50-100m out) on the northern edge, e.g. the Ben Lui area. Ollie 18:44, 27 October 2009 (UTC)
I estimate the errors to be around 16m in this area based on grid lines. The remainder of the error appears to be surveying error! --TimSC 19:06, 28 October 2009 (UTC) |
| 55 | 1957, Fully revised 1954, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 58 | 1956, fully revised 1953-1954, corrections 1958 | Islands of Gigha and Gighalum appear to be about 100m too far E on OS7 compared with other sources (including PGS coastline). Oddly W coast of Kintyre seems fine. SK53
The rectification error in this area seems to be ok <20m, so I suspect it is a OS surveying error, or the Landsat/PGS data is inaccurate (or erosion) (or all of the above). --TimSC 17:56, 4 January 2010 (UTC) |
| 59 | 1956, Fully revised 1953-1955, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 62 | 1957, Fully revised 1953-1954, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 64 | 1955, Fully revised 1952, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 65 | 1955, fully revised 1953-1954 | Islands of Cara appears to be about 100m too far E on OS7 compared with other sources (including PGS coastline). Oddly W coast of Kintyre seems fine. SK53
Ditto comment on 58 for this.--TimSC 17:56, 4 January 2010 (UTC) |
| 66 | 1956, Fully revised 1953-1954, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 67 | 1955, fully revised 1953-1954, corrections 1958 | |
| 72 | 1955, fully revised 1951-1953, corrections 1957 | |
| 73 | 1955, fully revised 1951, corrections 1957 | |
| 74 | 1956, fully revised 1951-1953, corrections 1957 | |
| 75 | 1956, fully revised 1951-1953, corrections 1956 | |
| 84 | 1955, Fully revised 1950-1951, corrections 1957 | |
| 86 | 1955, Fully revised 1950, corrections 1958 | |
| 88 | 1955, Fully revised 1950-1951, corrections 1957 | |
| 92 | 1955, © Fully revised 1950, corrections 1957 | |
| 100 | Published 1952; Fully revised 1947-1949 | |
| 126 | 1954, Fully revised 1952, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 129 | Fully revised 1949, Published 1952 | |
| 134 | 1954, Fully revised 1950, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 140 | 1952, Fully revised 1948, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 147 | Published 1954, Reprinted with minor corrections 1959, Fully revised 1951 | |
| 151 | 1952, Fully revised 1948, Minor corrections 1960 | |
| 152 | 1952, Fully revised 1948, Minor changes 1960 | |
| 154 | Published 1952, Fully revised 1947-1948 | |
| 157 | Published 1958, Fully revised 1949-1956 | |
| 166 | 1959, © 1959, Fully revised 1955-1956 | |
| 169 | © 1959 Fully revised 1956, Major roads revised 1964, Published 1959, Reprinted with minor changes and addition of ROW 1965 | |
| 170 | © 1959, Fully revised 1954-1955, Published 1959, Reprinted with minor corrections 1960 | |
| 171 | © 1959, Fully revised 1954-1955 | |
| 173 | © 1959, Fully revised areas 1954-1955 and 1957 | |
| 184 | © 1959, Fully revised areas 1954-55 and 1957 |
Calibration by Philip Stubbs, Andy Robinson, Tim Sheerman-Chase and Ollie O'Brien. Scanning Organised by Steve Chilton and James Rutter. If you have scans that you would like to be added to this layer and you can accept redistribution by BY-NC, please get in touch with Tim to discuss.