Compasses and directions
Using a compass
A compass is an important tool for map readers. It tells us which way is north and where to find east, south, and west.
Together, these are known as the four cardinal points of the compass.
Ordnance Survey maps are always printed with north facing the top.
What is north?
There are three common definitions of north that we use with maps:
Magnetic north — The direction in which any magnetic compass will point.
Grid north — The direction of a vertical (north-south) grid line on an OS map.
True north — The direction to the Earth’s geographic North Pole.
A magnetic compass will always point to magnetic north, but depending on where you are in the country and the date
of your journey, there will be a difference between magnetic north and grid north as it is marked on your OS map key.
Using a compass
A compass is an important tool for map readers. It tells us which way is north and where to find east, south, and west.
Together, these are known as the four cardinal points of the compass.
Ordnance Survey maps are always printed with north facing the top.
What is north?
There are three common definitions of north that we use with maps:
Magnetic north — The direction in which any magnetic compass will point.
Grid north — The direction of a vertical (north-south) grid line on an OS map.
True north — The direction to the Earth’s geographic North Pole.
A magnetic compass will always point to magnetic north, but depending on where you are in the country and the date
of your journey, there will be a difference between magnetic north and grid north as it is marked on your OS map key.
Watch the following video that will tell you about the 16 point compass.
Watch the video below which will teach you how to calculate/measure compass bearings.