Reference System

MD_ReferenceSystem:
referenceSystemIdentifier:
RS_Identifier:
code:
http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/27700
code:
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
MD_ReferenceSystem:
referenceSystemIdentifier:
RS_Identifier:
code:
WGS 84 (EPSG::4326)
code:
http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/4326

Identification

Data Identification:
citation:
Citation:
Title:
BGS 1:63 360 / 1:50 000 series geological maps
Alternate Title:
BGS 50k maps
Date:
CI_Date:
Date Type:
publication
date:
1856
Identifier:
RS_Identifier:
code:
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608196
Abstract:
The 1:63 360 / 1:50 000 scale map series are the most useful scale for most purposes. They provide almost complete coverage of onshore Great Britain. The BGS collection of 1:63 360 and 1:50 000 scale maps comprises two map series: - Geological Survey of England and Wales 1:63 360 / 1:50 000 Geological Map Series [New Series]. These maps are based on the Ordnance Survey One-inch New Series topographic basemaps and provide almost complete coverage of England and Wales, with the exception of sheet 180 (Knighton). The quarter-sheets of 1:63 360 Old Series sheets 91 to 110 coincide with sheets 1 to 73 of the New Series maps. These earlier maps often carry two sheet numbers which refer to the Old Series and the New Series. - Geological Survey of Scotland 1:63 360 / 1:50 000 Geological Map Series. These maps are based on the Ordnance Survey First, Second, Third and Fourth editions of the One-inch map of Scotland. The maps used the most recent topographic basemap available at the time. In the Western Isles, one-inch mapping was abandoned and replaced by maps at 1:100 000 scale, which are associated with this series. Sheets were traditionally issued at 1:63 360 scale, with the first 1:50 000 maps appearing in 1972. Sheets at 1:50 000 scale may be either facsimile enlargements of an existing 1:63 360 sheets, or may contain new geology and cartography. The latter bear the additional series designation '1:50 000 series'. Within the Scottish series, new mapping at 1:50 000 scale was split into east and west sheets. For example, the original one-inch sheet 32 became 1:50 000 sheets 32E and 32W. A number of irregular sheets were also introduced with the new 1:50 000 scale mapping. There are a number of irregular special sheets within both series. Geological maps represent a geologist's compiled interpretation of the geology of an area. A geologist will consider the data available at the time, including measurements and observations collected during field campaigns, as well as their knowledge of geological processes and the geological context to create a model of the geology of an area. This model is then fitted to a topographic basemap and drawn up at the appropriate scale, with generalization if necessary, to create a geological map, which is a representation of the geological model. Explanatory notes and vertical and horizontal cross sections may be published with the map. Geological maps may be created to show various aspects of the geology, or themes. The most common map themes held by BGS are solid (later referred to as bedrock) and drift (later referred to as superficial). These maps are, for the most part, hard-copy paper records stored in the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) and are delivered as digital scans through the BGS website.
Point of Contact:
Responsible Party:
Individual Name:
Enquiries
Organisation Name:
British Geological Survey
Contact Info:
CI_Contact:
phone:
CI_Telephone:
voice:
0115 936 3142
facsimile:
0115 936 3276
Address:
Address:
Delivery Point:
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South
city:
EDINBURGH
administrative Area:
LOTHIAN
Postal Code:
EH14 4AP
country:
United Kingdom
role:
distributor
Responsible Party:
Individual Name:
Enquiries
Organisation Name:
British Geological Survey
Contact Info:
CI_Contact:
phone:
CI_Telephone:
voice:
0115 936 3142
facsimile:
0115 936 3276
Address:
Address:
Delivery Point:
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South
city:
EDINBURGH
administrative Area:
LOTHIAN
Postal Code:
EH14 4AP
country:
United Kingdom
role:
owner
Responsible Party:
Individual Name:
Enquiries
Organisation Name:
British Geological Survey
Contact Info:
CI_Contact:
phone:
CI_Telephone:
voice:
0115 936 3142
facsimile:
0115 936 3276
Address:
Address:
Delivery Point:
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South
city:
EDINBURGH
administrative Area:
LOTHIAN
Postal Code:
EH14 4AP
country:
United Kingdom
role:
pointOfContact
Resource Maintenance:
MD_MaintenanceInformation:
maint. / update frequency:
notPlanned
Graphic overview:
Browse Graphic:
File Name:
https://resources.bgs.ac.uk/images/geonetworkThumbs/120e1002-dcdd-1b22-e063-0937940ae43d.png
Descriptive Keywords:
Keywords:
keyword:
Geology
keyword:
https://inspire.ec.europa.eu/theme/ge
Thesaurus Name:
Citation:
Title:
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Date:
CI_Date:
date:
2008-06-01
Date Type:
publication
Keywords:
keyword:
EGDI
keyword:
Geological models
keyword:
Geological surveys
keyword:
Maps
keyword:
UK Location (INSPIRE)
keyword:
Geological maps
keyword:
Geology
keyword:
Geological mapping
Thesaurus Name:
Citation:
Title:
BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences
Date:
CI_Date:
date:
2022
Date Type:
revision
Keywords:
keyword:
http://www.data.gov.uk
keyword:
UK Location (INSPIRE)
keyword:
EGDI
keyword:
https://data.geoscience.earth/ncl/project/_48
Type:
dataCentre
Keywords:
keyword:
NERC_DDC
Resource Constraints:
MD_LegalConstraints:
Access Constraints:
otherRestrictions
Other Constraints:
no limitations
Other Constraints:
http://inspire.ec.europa.eu/metadata-codelist/LimitationsOnPublicAccess/noLimitations
Other Constraints:
The dataset is made freely available for access, e.g. via the Internet. Either no third party data / information is contained in the dataset or BGS has secured written permission from the owner(s) of any third party data / information contained in the dataset to make the dataset freely accessible.
MD_LegalConstraints:
Use Constraints:
otherRestrictions
Other Constraints:
The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.
Other Constraints:
Available under the Open Government Licence subject to the following acknowledgement accompanying the reproduced NERC materials "Contains NERC materials ©NERC [year]"
Spatial Representation Type:
vector
Spatial Resolution:
Resolution:
Equivalent Scale:
Representative Fraction:
denominator:
50000
Resolution:
Equivalent Scale:
Representative Fraction:
denominator:
63360
Resolution:
Equivalent Scale:
Representative Fraction:
denominator:
100000
language:
eng
topicCategory:
geoscientificInformation
Extent:
Extent:
Geographic Element:
Geographic Bounding Box:
westBoundLongitude:
-6.9427
eastBoundLongitude:
2.7056
southBoundLatitude:
49.8805
northBoundLatitude:
60.6406
Geographic Description:
Geographic Identifier:
RS_Identifier:
authority:
Citation:
Title:
ISO 3166_2
Date:
CI_Date:
Date Type:
revision
date:
2009
code:
GBN
Geographic Description:
Geographic Identifier:
RS_Identifier:
authority:
Citation:
Title:
British Geological Survey Gazetteer: Geographical hierarchy from Geosaurus
Date:
CI_Date:
Date Type:
creation
date:
1979
code:
GREAT BRITAIN [id=139600]
Temporal Element:
TemporalExtent:
extent:
begin / end:
begin:
1856
end:
2015
Supplemental Information:
In some cases, BGS may hold multiple copies of the same map - for example if there were originally different copies held in different Survey offices, or at different locations at the same site. As a result of this, there may be multiple scans for the same map.

Distribution

Distribution:
Distribution Format:
Format:
Format Name:
PDF file (.pdf)
version:
?
Distributor:
Distributor:
Distributor Contact:
Responsible Party:
Individual Name:
Enquiries
Organisation Name:
British Geological Survey
Contact Info:
CI_Contact:
phone:
CI_Telephone:
voice:
0115 936 3142
facsimile:
0115 936 3276
Address:
Address:
Delivery Point:
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South
city:
EDINBURGH
administrative Area:
LOTHIAN
Postal Code:
EH14 4AP
country:
United Kingdom
role:
distributor
Transfer Options:
Digital Transfer Options:
onLine:
CI_OnlineResource:
linkage:
https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/data/MapsPortal
protocol:
HTTP
name:
BGS Maps Portal
description:
The BGS Maps Portal provides access to over 45 000 high-resolution viewing images of almost all the small, medium and large scale maps produced by the BGS since mapping started in 1832 right up to the most recent maps released in 2020. It incorporates all the earlier maps and history pages that were previously made available through the BGS ‘Historical maps of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland’ web resource.
function:
search

Data Quality

Data Quality:
Scope:
DQ_Scope:
level:
dataset
Level Description:
MD_ScopeDescription:
other:
dataset
Report:
Domain Consistency:
Result:
Conformance Result:
specification:
Citation:
Title:
INSPIRE Implementing rules laying down technical arrangements for the interoperability and harmonisation of Geology
Date:
CI_Date:
Date Type:
publication
date:
2011
explanation:
See the referenced specification
pass:
0
Domain Consistency:
Result:
Conformance Result:
specification:
Citation:
Title:
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Date:
CI_Date:
Date Type:
publication
date:
2010-12-08
explanation:
See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:323:0011:0102:EN:PDF
pass:
0
Lineage:
LI_Lineage:
statement:
The geological maps were created by the Geological Survey from approximately the 1850s onwards. The paper maps were scanned to TIF image format at 300 dpi as part a scanning project in 2014. JPEG2000 and PDF derivatives were created from the master TIF scans.

Metadata

File Identifier:
120e1002-dcdd-1b22-e063-0937940ae43d
language:
eng
Resource type:
dataset
Metadata Contact:
Responsible Party:
Organisation Name:
British Geological Survey
Contact Info:
CI_Contact:
phone:
CI_Telephone:
voice:
+44 131 667 1000
Address:
Address:
Delivery Point:
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South
city:
EDINBURGH
administrative Area:
LOTHIAN
Postal Code:
EH14 4AP
country:
United Kingdom
role:
pointOfContact
Date Stamp:
2025-11-03
Metadata Standard Name:
http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/M25/current/GEMINI/
Metadata Standard Name:
UK GEMINI
Metadata Standard Version:
2.3
Dataset URI:
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608196