Ordnance Survey Abbreviations
We are very grateful to Dr Richard Oliver for compiling this list and allowing us to use it. The abbreviations have been compiled from a number of sources, relating to all scales of Ordnance Survey mapping in Scotland, England and Wales. For more information on these abbreviations and their interpretation, please consult Richard Oliver's book Ordnance Survey maps: a concise guide for historians. 3rd edition (London : Charles Close Society, 2013).
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
| S | Scar, Sewer, Side of, Slope, Sluice, Stone, Stream |
| S | Side, Spur, Square, Stairs, Steps, Strand, Street |
| S | Sink; Sink Stones |
| S | South |
| S | Stone |
| S | Street (mereing) |
| SA | Salvation Army |
| Salop | Shropshire |
| SANatm | Sanatorium |
| SAND | Sub-Areas Name Diagram |
| SB | Signal Box |
| S Br | Signal Bridge |
| Sc | Scrub |
| SC | Stop Cock |
| (Scat) | Scattered (density) |
| Sch | School |
| SD | Side |
| SD | Single Drain or Ditch |
| Sd | Sound |
| SD | Strand |
| SD | Strand |
| SD | Sun Dial |
| Sec | Secondary |
| Selk | Selkirkshire |
| Sep | September |
| SF | ??? |
| SF | Side of Fence, Furrow, etc |
| SG | Sewer Grate |
| S Gantry | Signal Gantry |
| S Glam | South Glamorgan |
| SH | Summer House |
| Sh Fd | Sheep Fold |
| Sk | Sketched |
| Sks | Sinks |
| SL | Signal Lamp |
| SL | Signal Light |
| Sl | Sluice |
| SM | Sloping Masonry |
| Smy | Smithy |
| SN | Scientific Network |
| Somer | Somerset |
| SP | Sewer Pipe |
| SP | Signal Post |
| Sp | Spire |
| Sp | Spreads |
| SP | Spur |
| Spr | Spring |
| Sq | Square |
| SQ | Square |
| SR | Side of River |
| SRS | Stairs |
| SS | Saints |
| SS | Single Stream |
| SSlip | Single Slip |
| St | Saint |
| ST | Spring Tides |
| ST | Stable |
| St | Stone |
| St | Street |
| Sta | Station |
| Staf | Staffordshire [pre-1974] |
| Staffs | Staffordshire [post-1974] |
| S Sta | Signal Station |
| Std | Standard |
| Stirl | Stirlingshire |
| Stn | Station |
| STPS | Steps |
| STRS | Stairs |
| STS | Steps |
| Sts | Steps |
| Suff | Suffolk |
| Sun Sch | Sunday School |
| Sur | Surface |
| Sur B | Surface Block |
| Surrey | Surrey |
| Sussex | Sussex |
| Suther | Sutherland |
| SV | Sewer Vent? |
| SV | Spirit Vaults |
| SW | Sloping Wall |
| Sw | Switch |
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z