Postcode Grid References Detail

The Postcode Grid Reference file is driven by the full postcode (e.g. UB7 7JY).  The UK currently has close to 1.8 million full postcodes with each postcode representing on average fifteen sites (properties). This however can fluctuate between a single site per postcode to one hundred properties, which is the maximum.

In earlier times a Postcode could cover addresses for up to twelve Thoroughfares. This is now restricted to 1 although some historic postcodes may contain more.

Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) Longitude and Latitude grid references defined by Ordnance Survey's CodePoint is 99% more accurate than Royal Mail's PostZon system. The 6 figure X&Y postcode references are based upon the British National Grid System and measure postcode locations in meters from the national (0, 0) point of origin. The X&Y references indicate the location to 1 meter accuracy of the first building within the Postcode. 

As Ordnance Survey only provide data for Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales), X&Y Coordinates for Northern Ireland (Postcodes that begin with postcode area BT) are taken from Royal Mail's PostZon data file. These PostZon X&Y Coordinates are only accurate to approximately one hundred meters and are therefore less accurate than the X&Y Coordinates provided  by Ordnance Survey's GB coordinates.

The X&Y Coordinates data is supplied as two separate CSV text files in order to allow opening and viewing of the data in Excel 2007 which overcomes earlier record size restrictions.

We offer the most up to date Postcode Grid References for UK Postcodes.  The  file is entirely based on the Ordnance Survey CodePoint and Royal Mail PostZon systems and is therefore accurate to within 1 meter of the first delivery address for each postcode (100 meters for Northern Ireland postcodes).

The Postcode Grid References supplied file will never be more than three months old and comes with free updates throughout the licence period.  In addition, the Postcode Grid References file offers coordinates converted and supplied as six figure decimals for your convenience.

The ability to accurately locate and pin point buildings, delivery points and postcodes requires the postcode grid reference which of course are an essential requirement for many industries including distribution, logistics, retail, planning, insurance and local government.
 

Postcode Grid References - File Overview

• Approx. 1.8 million postcodes with their Grid Reference
• 9 data fields in total
• 100mb (uncompressed)
• Supplied as 2 x CSV text files in a single compressed zip file.
• Other formats available upon request

Longitude Latitude & Other Fields Provided on this file

• Full Postcode
• Postcode Sector
• Postcode District
• Postcode Area
• PQI
• X Coordinate Grid Reference
• Y Coordinate Grid Reference
• Longitude
• Latitude

Licence & Copyright

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2010. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2010.