Channel Islands - how to give a location reference

Channel Islands grid references

The regular Ordnance Survey Land Ranger and Explorer series of maps do not cover the Channel Islands, and the islands themselves are not covered by the UK national grid. There are, however, several simple methods for tracking down Channel Islands "grid references":

Using a website

Try this page http://www.geograph.org.gg/latlong.php

Enter decimal longitude and latitude and it will give you the grid ref back including C.I. grid refs which all start with WV

Google Earth

All Channel Island grid refs are UTM references, usually expressed without the UTM Grid Area prefix of 30U. You can set Google Earth to deliver UTM refs by going to: Tools > Options and selecting UTM from the relevant display on offer

Examples:
Alderney lies entirely in (30U) WA and the other islands in (30U) WV
So for Alderney
Remove 5 from Easting and 55 from Northing and replace with WA
and for Jersey, Guernsey and other Channel Isles
Remove 5 from Easting and 54 from Northing and replace with WV


Jersey, Ouaisné Common: Google Earth gives 30U 559549m E 5447576m N which becomes WV595475
Alderney, Platte Saline Bay: Google Earth gives 30U 556722mE 5507855m N which becomes WA567078
Guernsey, Fort Doyle: Google Earth gives 30U 535788m E 5483825m N whuich becomes WV357838

 

AA/OS Leisure Guide to the Channel Islands (1987)

published by AA, ISBN 0 86145 514 2 (AA ref: 53989)

This has gridded maps in it at the back and is hugely useful.

The base maps from which these are drawn are:
OS map of the Channel Islands at 1: 50 000 scale.
 
OS/States of Jersey Official Leisure Map of Jersey at 1: 25 000
D. Mil. Survey Mapping of Guernsey at 1: 25 000
D. Mil. Survey Mapping of Alderney, Sark, Herm & Jethou at 1: 10 000

Ordnance Survey

The OS does now sell high resolution maps of Jersey, Guernsey (including Sark, Alderney and adjacent islands).


 

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