please empty your brain below
Typo alert: “ Another English tough-to-get is NX on the Cumbrian coast”.

dg writes: Not a typo.

Fascinating journey, thanks.

Toni | 03.02.21 - 7:24 a.m. | #

As NY covers some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK (most of the Dales and Lakes), that really looks like something to resolve once you can move again. Then again, access to a car as mode of transport once here is practically a necessity unless walking a specific locality.

Putters | 03.02.21 - 7:27 a.m. | #

Well I've been to HP, which is pretty far off the beaten track. Might take me a bit longer to work out all of my squares though.

martin | 03.02.21 - 7:51 a.m. | #

I went to the Scillies in 2018 and would thoroughly recommend! Given everywhere else you've been I'm quite surprised you haven't been there!

Westerleigh Junction | 03.02.21 - 7:52 a.m. | #

Rockall is in the MC grid square - which must be the one most unlikely for anyone to have visited.

Paul | 03.02.21 - 8:03 a.m. | #

Interesting as always and great input for my own planning for the future. I have done two day trips to SV. The first was boat out and helicopter back. The second was helicopter both ways. The Atlantic was much rougher than I had expected so close to the mainland.

DavidC | 03.02.21 - 8:07 a.m. | #

Tired of postcode wars?, try National Grid Square wars - for the more discerning yoof.

Still Anon | 03.02.21 - 8:22 a.m. | #

Living in Cornwall, it's nice to see that SW is rather logical (south west) in the geographical sense. However, the locations of SE and NE would be far from logical on that score. NW is in the right part of the country, but isn't where one normally thinks of North West.

Petras409 | 03.02.21 - 8:25 a.m. | #

I read your 14.5-year-old post about the single track road in the Hebrides and came across this delightful bit: "the filling station at Aird Asaig, one of the first UK garages to charge more than a pound for a litre of petrol" ...

Jan | 03.02.21 - 8:30 a.m. | #

I can confirm I have travelled that lonely single-track road to Huisinis. A stunning journey.

Judging by the bus shelters present along the route, grid square NA may even be accessible by public transport!

Michael T | 03.02.21 - 8:49 a.m. | #

I can also recommend SV, and add SM and SR.

Lived in: only TQ (eight places) and SK (one)

Slept in: all squares on the GB mainland except NC, ND, NG, NK, NM, NX, OV, TR, and TV (even SR - Bosherston on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path), plus HY and SV

Also been to: ND, NG, NM, NW (if Belfast counts), NX, TR, and TV

Not been to: NA, NB, NF, NK, NL, OV, or any "H" square except HY

timbo | 03.02.21 - 9:23 a.m. | #

The link to the 100km grid squares map includes Northern Ireland (NV, NW, SA and SB).

Ian | 03.02.21 - 9:26 a.m. | #

This link explains what at first sight appears to be a somewhat random decision on choosing the letters, but isn't. The page also says that GB is entirely covered by H, N, S and T, which, as we now know from DG, isn't true.

Stuart R | 03.02.21 - 9:49 a.m. | #

Yes - don’t neglect NI, what would Arlene say? :-) I guess you went to Lewis via Skye - otherwise in the islands, the square with Oban in it is vital, as boats from Oban go everywhere!

Interesting too that not including OV seems to be the reason for putting the origin where it is.

mark addy | 03.02.21 - 9:49 a.m. | #

Another reader who marginally entered grid square NA, inspired not least by your reports from 2011. I remember going for a wet but enjoyable circular walk from Hushinish reaching NB0113 and NA9914.

Joachim | 03.02.21 - 10:05 a.m. | #

I too have now coloured in a map.

I have lived in SO, SP, TQ (multiple places, including one not far from the SU border) and TR, and I have slept in the remainder of the England and Wales squares except SV, SW, SM, NX, NY and OV (SR I ticked off after arriving on a night ferry from Rosslare, and kipped in the back of a van on the coast)

NX, OV and SV are the only English ones unvisited.

I have also slept in NS, NT, and HU (and NW, if you count Belfast)

Ian | 03.02.21 - 10:09 a.m. | #

Another recommendation for the Scilly Isles - very beautiful. Going by train from London and catching the boat is one of the great journeys.

Johnny Topaz | 03.02.21 - 10:11 a.m. | #

Except, Timbo and Mark, Ireland (on both sides of the border) has its own grid system, with a different point of origin to the British grid, but based on the same idea of 100km squares.

AlanBG | 03.02.21 - 10:12 a.m. | #

Instead of doing Random Counties, I could try Random Grid Squares instead! I might be a bit more successful at ticking some off then, because apart from a school trip to NS and the associated squares I passed through to reach it, I've not been further north than SH & SJ, or east than TL!

Cornish Cockney | 03.02.21 - 10:14 a.m. | #

HP contains Baltasound, the most northerly UK climatological station reporting to the Met Office. I visited to inspect the station in (about) 1980.

jack hopkins | 03.02.21 - 10:30 a.m. | #

When we were able to travel in the summer, we spent a week in SM and it was stunning, the coastal path is wonderful.

lockedintheattic | 03.02.21 - 10:52 a.m. | #

It's slightly weird how pleased I am that via a visit to Sellafied, I am able to tick off square NY. Lockdown madness :-)

Mikey C | 03.02.21 - 11:07 a.m. | #

Excellent. And thanks a bunch for pointing out that I've been within a miserly 50m of visiting OV, having traipsed the lower path along the North Yorkshire coast near Staintondale. Even more frustrating because it's the only fraction of that path where access to the foreshore is available without the danger of having to descend down a crumbling clay cliff.

A revisit is now scheduled post-Lockdown.

Torqueback | 03.02.21 - 11:13 a.m. | #

Interesting post. My tally is

Lived in: SS, TQ, SD, TA

Slept in: SW, SX, SY, SZ, ST, TR, SM, SO, SP, TL, TM, SH, SJ, SK, SE, NY, NZ, NS, NT, NM, NO, NG, NC, ND

Been to: SU, TV, SN, TF, NX, OV (I think), NR, NU, NN, NH

Never been: SV, SR, SC, NW, NL, NF, NJ, NK, NA, NB, HW, HX, HY, HT, HU, HP

My slept in total is good because of a lot of work travel within England in my current job.

The interesting one is OV. I grew up in Scarborough and have certainly walked along that beach at low tide north from Hayburn Wyke towards Ravenscar a few times but could not say for certain that I passed that square.

Mark | 03.02.21 - 11:48 a.m. | #

Lived in: TL TQ NZ

Slept in: NM NN NS NT NU NY SD SE SH SS ST SU SX SY SZ

Been to: NO SO SP TF TM TR TV

Not visited: H+ NA-NL NR NX SC SM SN SR SV SW

Alan | 03.02.21 - 11:56 a.m. | #

My "slept in or lived in" list is fractionally more than DGs at 32. I've even spent several Christmases in Eastbourne; thank you Methodist Holiday Homes!

I don't think I have any extra "just visited" squares. This is thanks to a preference for at least an overnight stay over a long journey for a few hours' visit, and a tendency to revisit for longer anywhere that takes my fancy during any form of stopover.

...and I've finally been prompted to find out why the grid squares appear to use a random set of letters in the middle of the alphabet!

Andrew S | 03.02.21 - 12:07 p.m. | #

Never: 12 (21%)
Through: 4 (7%) (HZ, NK, NU, NX)
To: 5 (9%)
Slept: 29 (52%)
Lived: 6 (11%)

(And that's another hour "wasted". Except that I think I have got the hang of COUNTIF).

"Through" includes by ship, but not plane, because who knows.

Malcolm of Kent | 03.02.21 - 12:32 p.m. | #

Another great post - have been to 43 and lived in 5.

cau1khead | 03.02.21 - 12:37 p.m. | #

The origin point for the OS Great Britain National Grid is 49°N 2°W (on the OSGB36 datum, which isn't quite the same as the WGS84 datum used by GPS). In co-ordinate terms this is defined as 400000m E, -100000m N (which would be XE000000 as a National Grid reference). This gives a 'false origin' for the grid of 0m E, 0m N (SV000000) south west of the Scillies. OV000000 then just happens to be on the coast where it is.

Jeremy GH | 03.02.21 - 12:37 p.m. | #

There are essentially three definitions for the area covered by the British National Grid.

» Largest is the 2500km square, with all 625 100km squares from AA (Iceland) to ZZ (north east Italy) - never used, except to show how all the 100km squares fit together.
» Then there's a 700km by 1300km rectangle (corner 100km squares HL, JM, SV, TW) - this is that used in DG's post.
» Finally, that used by those (like the military) who use the grid seriously, which is the same but with bits cut out to exclude France, Ireland, etc. where different grids apply. (A line drawn in the Irish Sea marks the official boundary between the British and Irish Grids).

A lot of web-sites which claim to provide British National Grid References don't handle the boundaries correctly: anywhere outside my third definition should be rejected and give an 'outside grid area' response; to the other extreme a 'correct' reference can be given for anywhere within my first: but a lot give incorrect references for places outside the second.

A few squares of interest: HM covers part of the Faeroe Islands; the extreme west of County Fermanagh would be in MZ (there is slightly more UK land in MZ than OV), and the Channel Islands (excluding some offshore rocks) would be in XD.

Jeremy GH | 03.02.21 - 12:42 p.m. | #

Looking at this post, it come's as an enjoyable surprise as to just how well travelled I am in the UK!
It's those 'extremities' that eludes one. So no show in HW HX HT HP NA NF NL OV.

If 'slept in' includes at least one night in a tent, then I have to just exclude NC ND & NW from the Been to's.
But I've only ever lived in TQ (London). Maybe that's why I travel.

Dave | 03.02.21 - 1:11 p.m. | #

I live... 4 km from the TG/TF/TL/TM quadpoint, so I frequently hit all four in a day.

I also used to live very close to the SJ/SK/SO/SP quadpoint, and I have family close to the SO/SP/ST/SU quadpoint.

Lived in: SD, SK, TF, TG, ST
Slept in: NJ, NS, NT, NY, SE, TA, SN, SS, SU, TQ, SW, SX, SY, SZ... and TV, but not on land... Oh and also TW, even though it doesn't count.
Visited: SH, SJ, SO, SP, TL, TM, TR

Andrew | Homepage | 03.02.21 - 1:31 p.m. | #

I've been to the 7 unvisited N squares in mainland Scotland and to SM in Wales. So if between us DG and I can do the Scilly Isles, Orkney and Shetland we can say we've done the lot between us - and oh yes, we also need OV. I can see HT (Foula) and HZ (Fair Isle) being a challenge, though.

Peter | 03.02.21 - 2:03 p.m. | #

Either Foula and Fair Isle can be reached from London using only two ferry trips. Unst and Fetlar are the only inhabited UK islands that require a minimum of three. As far as I know.

Malcolm of Kent | 03.02.21 - 2:26 p.m. | #

Looking at the Irish grid, I find I've stayed overnight in all but three of the 20 top-level squares that contain land. Missing square D (north Antrim), N (east Leinster) and X (south-east Cork).

But naturally enough I have a poorer performance in Britain, having stayed only in four grid squares - NN during a mountaineering trip, SN (I think, though it might have been SO) doing something similar, SK visiting relatives and also hill-walking, and a couple of years in TQ.

I've passed through SH, SJ, SO, SP, and TL quite often though; in that direction and the reverse.

BWB | 03.02.21 - 2:36 p.m. | #

Something like this for me: i.imgur.com/z6N5yrC.jpg

Surprised to have any sort of 'one up' on DG, but my trip to Orkney managed to bag me not only HY, but thanks to that one time I took a bus over the Churchill Barriers, ND as well. Still more than cancelled out by DG's superior coverage elsewhere, of course.

Also, this exercise makes me not regret keeping a diary, because there are a few places I honestly can't remember if I visited or stayed overnight. I remember "that Shropshire holiday", for example, but not the precise extreme points of it! I tried to err on the side of caution, and only coloured squares I was almost certain of.

stevekeiretsu | 03.02.21 - 2:39 p.m. | #

Lived in 6: SD SK SP TL SU TQ

Slept in 24: NG NH NM NN NO NS NT NY NZ SE TA SH SJ TF TG SN SO SP TM SS ST SX SY SZ

Been to 4: NJ SM TR SW

Never been to 23: HP HT HU HW HX HY HZ NA NB NC ND NF NK NL NR NU NW NX OV SC SR SV TV

This tally might influence my future holiday plans.

JonathanC | 03.02.21 - 2:54 p.m. | #

My trip to NR is solely thanks to a 1974 coach trip between Rothesay and Dunoon, both of which are in NS, but which made me so travel sick I had to stop the coach and get off near Tighnabruaich.

That westward detour seriously peeved me at the time, but now proves to have had its benefits.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.02.21 - 3:16 p.m. | #

Been to 32
Slept in 25
Lived in 5

Neesi | 03.02.21 - 3:38 p.m. | #

britishnationalgrid.uk currently says "sorry, daily usage limit reached". That's the power of DG!

For my count:
Lived in five - TL, TQ, ST, SE and NN
Slept in at least 24
Visited - between 40 and 42: all mainland squares except NC, ND and NK, possibly not SR (though holidayed in Pembroke once when I was a nipper and we did a lot of walking) and possibly not TV, though I've been to the area so would need to see it in close up. I can't claim any that are purely small islands.

Favourite square is probably NG; Skye is the most beautiful place I've seen in the UK.

Graham | 03.02.21 - 4:04 p.m. | #

I stayed on Tiree for a week in 1984, so we can collectively tick NL off.

miker | 03.02.21 - 5:17 p.m. | #

I was taught at school that nobody ever considered all grid letters from AA to ZZ would be used.It is simply that the bulk of Great Britain lies in two 500x500 squares called North and South, hence N and S, all else follows on from that.

Do not call them the Scilly Isles, they are the Isles of Scilly. That was announced on the ferry's tannoy system when I first went there so we would not uupset the natives when we arrived.

Alan S | 03.02.21 - 5:36 p.m. | #

Visited NX at St. Bees; the end of Wainwright's magnificent Coast To Coast walk, which starts[or finishes] at Robin Hood's Bay.

I'm surprised DG's never this done walk too.

Richard | 03.02.21 - 5:45 p.m. | #

If people could stop being surprised I haven't done things, that'd be excellent.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.02.21 - 5:46 p.m. | #

Oddly, I'm able to tick of NK, after my time at a cadet summer Camp at RAF Buchan, which included sailing from Peterhead harbour. Spent more time in that town that I might care to repeat.

Jordan D | 03.02.21 - 5:56 p.m. | #

Well, this is obviously the only way I am ever going to visit NY or NZ, so that's good.

Sarah | Homepage | 03.02.21 - 6:01 p.m. | #

I think I've been to 28 or just over 50% of the grid squares:

Lived in: SU, TQ
Slept in: NT, NY, SD, SE, SH, SJ, SK, SN, SO, SP, SS, ST, SW, SX, SY, SZ, TF*, TG, TL, TM, TR
Been to: NS, NX, NZ, SM, SR, TV

(*This was a close run thing as it turns out I was about a kilometre from the border with TG)

That makes two I've been to that DG hasn't (SM & SR) as well as giving me one of the "almost entirely sea" ones.

X-Plaistow | 03.02.21 - 6:36 p.m. | #

Ironically, I’ve just had a power cut... 😂

Felix | 03.02.21 - 7:40 p.m. | #

You have too many readers. The map link you sent is now "Daily Usage Limited Reached". Ah well I guess I should have read this morning. Though I reckon (without being able to double check) I think I've been to all those starting with S and T. I've not been to OV. I suspect that is in practice only accessible by boat. Of those starting N I think I miss NA, NF, NL and NW.

Jon Combe | Homepage | 03.02.21 - 8:55 p.m. | #

Thanks DG for a very interesting post!

Lived in only 2: TQ (born and bred south of the Thames, but now live north of it); and SP (whilst at Uni.)

Stayed in 23: NH, NS, NT and NZ; + TG, TM, TQ and TR; + 15 Ss (all except SM, SN, SR and SV).

Been to 33: as Stayed in + ND, NG, NM, NN, NX and NY; + TA, TF, TL and TV.

John Simmons | 03.02.21 - 10:06 p.m. | #

I reckon I've lived in 8, slept in 34 and visited 37. (Slow Britain by Bus is to be thoroughly recommended).

Man of Kent | 03.02.21 - 11:32 p.m. | #

Fascinating post. I think NL includes the southern part of Barra and Vatersay, so that's a very remote one I can tick off. As you probably know, the flight to Barra is the only scheduled air service that lands on a beach, and where the flight timetable is dictated by the tide.

IslandDweller | 04.02.21 - 7:05 a.m. | #

Lived in 10, slept in another 19, been to another 6, which still leaves me 21 in need of exploring!

Kirsty | Homepage | 04.02.21 - 11:15 a.m. | #

In about 1963 my family took a boat trip from Scarborough towards Robin Hoods Bay, but it only got about half way and had to turn back because of poor weather. So I probably have been to Square OV, and arguably wasn't just passing through as we returned to our start point.

timbo | 04.02.21 - 1:30 p.m. | #

I've done that single track dead end road to Mealasta on Lewis twice. Not sure why, I just love the remoteness!
I've never been to SV, SR, SC, OV, HW or HX...

Rob | 07.02.21 - 4:19 a.m. | #











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