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Path Link

A Path Link is a linear spatial object that defines the geometry and connectivity of the Path Network between two points in the network. Path Links will be split for connectivity purposes (for example, at junctions) and Path Nodes will connect the Path Links together. Each Path Link will provide a reference to the Path Nodes at the start and end of the Path Link.

Path Links will be captured where:

  • They provide a route that cannot be inferred from the Road Network

  • They provide connectivity between Road Networks

  • There is a canal path or tow path

  • There are paths over footbridges and under subways

Path Links will not be captured where:

  • They run parallel to the Road Network (for example, a pavement)

  • They are connected to a motorway

  • There is a physical obstruction which prevents connectivity

  • They are non-public paths (for example, in a school, prison, or military area)

  • They do not meet validation criteria in place to maintain network quality (for example, isolated links with no connectivity to another link)

Data schema versioning

The following table provides details about this feature type’s data schema versions, including the reasons behind the changes and the related launch date when each version went live.

Data schema version table

Version ↓
Launch Date
Latest Date
Change

2.0

27 March 2025

Ongoing

Major version increment adding new Presence Of Street Light attribution.

1.0

29 September 2022

Ongoing

Initial launch of the Path Link Feature Type.

Please see Data schema versioning for in-depth information about data schema versioning in the OS NGD.

Temporal filtering

Temporal filtering allows you to order a one-off snapshot of data from the OS NGD from a current or past date. It is an optional step when you create a new data package in OS Select+Build (the OS NGD download service).

The earliest and latest dates on which you can request a one-off snapshot of a date in the past for this feature type's data schema versions are indicated in the Data schema version table above. Please note that any data temporally filtered earlier than the specified launch date indicated in the table for the data schema versions may contain data inconsistencies.

More information about temporal filtering on OS NGD feature types is available from the Getting started with temporal filtering guide.

Feature type attributes

The following sub-sections provide details about the attributes included with this feature type, their data types in the different output formats, and other important metadata about them.

Loading OS NGD CSV files into databases

Comma-separated values (CSV) file format is universally supported for easy ingestion into all major database products. Before loading OS NGD data contained in CSV files into a database, it is necessary to create relevant tables. Data definition language (DDL) statements for PostgreSQL, SQL Server and Oracle can be accessed in our OS NGD Resources GitHub repository.

For instructions on loading CSV files, see the Getting Started with CSV guide.

osid

Primary identifier for the feature. The OSID is a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) and requires no centralised authority to ensure uniqueness. Note that the same OSID can occur in more than one feature type when a single feature is represented multiple times in the OS NGD.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Max Length: 36

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

toid

Topographic Identifier (TOID) of the feature, as published in the OS MasterMap suite of products.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Max Length: 20

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

versiondate

Date when the version was last updated.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), Date (GPKG), Date (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

versionavailablefromdate

The date this version of the feature became the latest version.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), DateTime (GPKG), DateTime (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

versionavailabletodate

The date this version of the feature was superseded by an update or ceased to exist.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), DateTime (GPKG), DateTime (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

changetype

The type of change that generated a new version of the feature.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: changetypevalue

  • Max Length: 50

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

geometry

3D geometry for the feature.

  • Data Types: Geometry (GeoJSON), Geometry (GPKG), WKT (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

  • Geometry Type: LineString

geometry_length_m (formerly geometry_length)

This attribute was called geometry_length in data schema version 1.0, and was renamed geometry_length_m from version 2.0 onward.

The measured length of the geometry in metres.

  • Data Types: Number (GeoJSON), Float (GPKG), Real (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Precision: 15

  • Scale: 3

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 2.0

theme

The OS NGD theme to which this feature belongs.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: themevalue

  • Max Length: 40

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

description

A single descriptive value intended for a quick understanding of what the feature represents.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: formofwaytypevalue

  • Max Length: 42

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

pathname1_text

The name of the path which the feature is part of. When a path link is referenced by a Street with a street type of Designated Street Name, this is the name used; otherwise, the name is from the Path feature.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Max Length: 254

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

pathname1_language

The language of pathname1, provided as a 3-digit ISO 639-2 code ('eng, 'cym', 'gla').

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: languagevalue

  • Max Length: 3

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

pathname2_text

The name of the path which the feature is part of. When a Path Link is referenced by a Street with a street type of Designated Street Name, this is the name used; otherwise, the name is from the Path feature.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Max Length: 254

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

pathname2_language

The language of pathname2, provided as a 3-digit ISO 639-2 code ('eng, 'cym', 'gla').

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: languagevalue

  • Max Length: 3

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

alternatename1_text

Another name for the Path that the feature is part of. This is populated with the name captured by Ordnance Survey when it differs from that in Street.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Max Length: 254

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

alternatename1_language

The language the name is expressed in, provided as a 3-digit ISO 639-2 code ('eng, 'cym', 'gla').

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: languagevalue

  • Max Length: 3

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

alternatename2_text

Another name for the Path that the feature is part of. This is populated with the name captured by Ordnance Survey when it differs from that in Street.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Max Length: 254

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

alternatename2_language

The language the name is expressed in, provided as a 3-digit ISO 639-2 code ('eng, 'cym', 'gla').

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: languagevalue

  • Max Length: 3

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

surfacetype

Nature of the material that the Path is made up of.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: surfacetypevalue

  • Max Length: 13

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

cyclefacility

An indication of whether the the link has facilities for cyclists.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • Code List Name: cyclefacilityvalue

  • Max Length: 50

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

cyclefacility_wholelink

An indication of whether the facilities for cyclists apply to the whole link feature.

  • Data Types: Boolean (GeoJSON), Integer (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: true

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

elevationgain_indirection

The total ascent experienced when passing along a link feature in the direction of digitisation, calculated from three-dimensional geometry.

  • Data Types: Number (GeoJSON), Float (GPKG), Real (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Precision: 6

  • Scale: 1

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

elevationgain_againstdirection

The total ascent experienced when passing along a link feature against the direction of digitisation, calculated from three-dimensional geometry.

  • Data Types: Number (GeoJSON), Float (GPKG), Real (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Precision: 6

  • Scale: 1

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

heightingmethod

The origin and derivation of the three dimensional geometry of the Road Link.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: heightingmethodvalue

  • Max Length: 19

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

capturespecification

Indicates the capture specification used by OS when capturing the feature. This could either be Urban, Rural or Moorland.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: capturespecificationvalue

  • Max Length: 8

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

matchstatus

Indication of whether the feature has been matched to a feature in the National or Scottish Street Gazetteers.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: matchstatusvalue

  • Max Length: 38

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

startnode

The node coincident with the first vertex of the geometry attribute of the link feature.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Max Length: 36

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

startgradeseparation

The relative level of the link at the startnode.

  • Data Types: Integer (GeoJSON), Integer (GPKG), Integer (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

endnode

The node coincident with the last vertex of the geometry attribute of the link feature.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Max Length: 36

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

endgradeseparation

The relative level of the link at the endnode.

  • Data Types: Integer (GeoJSON), Integer (GPKG), Integer (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 1.0, 2.0

🆕 presenceofstreetlight_coverage

An indication of the extent of street light coverage along the Road Link or Path Link.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: illuminationvalue

  • Max Length: 12

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: Yes

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: Yes

  • Data Schema Version: 2.0

🆕 presenceofstreetlight_evidencedate

The date on which the latest evidence was gathered to make an update if required. For example, the date of collection by a surveyor or third party information received.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), Date (GPKG), Date (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 2.0

🆕 presenceofstreetlight_updatedate

Date when the attribute was last updated.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), Date (GPKG), Date (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 2.0

🆕 presenceofstreetlight_capturemethod

Indication of the method used to capture or produce the data.

  • Data Types: String (GeoJSON), String (GPKG), String (CSV)

  • Nullable: false

  • Code List Name: capturemethodvalue

  • Max Length: 25

  • OS NGD API – Features Filterable: No

  • OS Select+Build Filterable: No

  • Data Schema Version: 2.0

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