Unlocking the Power of OS MasterMap®: A Comprehensive Guide

In today's data-driven world, accurate and up-to-date geospatial information is paramount for effective decision-making and planning. One of the most valuable tools available to professionals in the field is OS MasterMap®, a comprehensive and highly detailed mapping database created by Ordnance Survey (OS) in the United Kingdom. In this blog post, we will delve into the world of OS MasterMap®, exploring its features, applications, and the benefits it offers across various industries. 

What is OS MasterMap®?

OS MasterMap® is a national topographic database that provides detailed and accurate geographic information about Great Britain. It covers a wide range of features, including buildings, roads, land use, terrain, and much more. The database is continually updated and maintained by Ordnance Survey, ensuring that users have access to the most current and reliable information available. 

Key Features and Data Layers: OS MasterMap consists of several interconnected data layers, each offering unique insights and valuable information: 

1. OS MasterMap Topography Layer®: This is the definitive view of Great Britain's physical landscape surveyed at 1:1250 and 1:2500 scales. It is a digital representation of real-world features and intangible objects such as administrative boundaries, each with a topographic identifier (TOID) for easy linking with other datasets. The product provides a visual context for location intelligence and decision-making concerning assets, services and environmental risks and is the approved dataset for planning applications and land registration.  The database is updated continually by Ordnance Survey, ensuring users have access to the most current and reliable information available. Building heights is an enhancement to the layer which enables 3D visualisation in urban areas. 
   
   
2. OS MasterMap Highways®: Provides road network and connectivity across GB at 1:1250 to 1:10,000 scale. It also provides routing information, vehicle restrictions, access, and other physical characteristics as well as information about planned roads and roads under construction. This layer is designed to work with OS MasterMap Topography and Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase products. 
   
3. Imagery Layer: OS MasterMap also has a high-resolution aerial imagery layer captured at 25cm resolution. It is designed to be used together with other OS MasterMap layers to provide additional, visual detail of the landscape, urban environments and features such as road markings, tree canopies and roof-top solar panels. 
   
   
4. OS MasterMap Water Network®: This layer gives detailed information about the waterways and associated features such as bridges, tunnels and aqueducts at 1:1250 to 1:10,000 scale in GB.  It provides a detailed centre line for each water way with heights, lengths, and widths plus direction of flow.  It also identifies the source of watercourses and the points where different watercourses meet. OSMM Water Network is particularly useful for planners, surveyors, environmental consultants, and engineering consultants. 
   
   
5. OS MasterMap Sites Layer®: This layer groups collections of real-world features into seven themes (Air Transport, Education, Medical Care, Rail Transport, Road Transport, Water Transport, Utility/Industrial).  Each theme provides detail about site names and function, access points and routing for proximity and emergency response planning, urban planning, land management and property development. 

Image: OS Mastermap Highways Network Roads