OS Terrain 5

Here you will find all documentation for the OS Terrain 5 product.

OS Terrain 5 | Data Products | OSOrdnance Survey

OS Terrain 5 is a detailed digital terrain model (DTM) of Great Britain, available as a grid of heighted points and contours, both at five-metre intervals.

Both OS Terrain 5 and OS Terrain 50, provide detailed three-dimensional digital terrain models (DTMs) of Great Britain. A DTM primarily defines the ground surface, having removed all protruding features (such as buildings and trees) elevated above the bare earth.

This product is updated quarterly in January, April, July and October.

A representation of OS Terrain 5 data showing detailed terrain data

OS Terrain 5 is published as both grid and contour data, each in a variety of formats. Both data types are created from the same source data and are supplied as 5km-by-5km tiles.

Benefits

Ideal for 3D visualisations

OS Terrain 5 is ideal for 3D visualisations. It models significant landscape features including roads, railways, slopes, quarries and lakes – offering a typical accuracy level greater than 2m RMSE.

A true virtual landscape

OS Terrain 5 provides the height data needed to model construction projects within the wider landscape. This helps give planners an accurate virtual view of plans and the steps you’re taking to minimise their visual impact on the surrounding area.

Reduce the need for site visits

You can quickly understand the impact of flash floods on roads, homes and other major infrastructure. You're able to assess the lie of the land on-screen, reducing the need for time-consuming site visits.

Harness the elements

OS Terrain 5 helps you to analyse wind speed and signal propagation. This is important when siting wind turbines, best located in exposed upland areas to maximise their power output, and mobile phone masts, which serve ever more data-hungry users.

Use Cases

Summary

How to get this product

The OS Terrain 5 product page on the OS website has advice on how to get the product for developers, businesses and OS Partners.

This product is not available as part of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA). You can read more about the PSGA and discover which products are included on the PSGA Product summary page in the resources section.

Sample data

Download OS Terrain 5 sample data

You can download sample data for the product for free from the OS Data Hub. The sample data is available in ASCII Grid, ESRI Shapefile and GML 3.2 formats and covers one area (Exeter).

Visualise OS Terrain 5 sample data online

This product is available to try out free online using one of our three sets of sample data (Exeter, Newport and Inverness) through the OS MasterMap Product Viewer:

OS MasterMap Product Viewer

Interactive demonstrator of OS MasterMap Generation data

What's next?

To access documentation and resources relating to this product, please refer to the following:

Overview

The overview introduces OS Terrain 5 and gives context for all users – highlighting key features, providing examples of uses, and listing details such as product accuracy, supply formats, etc.

Technical Specification

The technical specification provides detailed technical information about OS Terrain 5. It is targeted at technical users and software developers.

Downloads

Provides links and resources to support the application of OS Terrain 5 within your environment

New users should start with the Overview to gain high-level insight into the product. The Technical Specification contains detailed technical insights.