United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Supplying defence and the commercial shipping industry, they help ensure Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), protect the marine environment and support the efficiency of global trade.The Admiralty's first Hydrographer was Alexander Dalrymple,[2] appointed in 1795 on the order of King George III and the existing charts were brought together and catalogued.[citation needed] Dalrymple was succeeded on his death in 1808 by Captain Thomas Hurd, under whose stewardship the department was given permission to sell charts to the public in 1821.[4] In 1819, Captain Hurd entered into a bi-lateral agreement with Denmark to exchange charts and publications covering areas of mutual interest.In 1828 Captain Parry and the Royal Society organised a scientific voyage to the South Atlantic, in collaboration with the Hydrographers of France and Spain, using HMS Chanticleer.During his time as Hydrographer, he developed the eponymous Scale, saw the introduction of official tide tables in 1833 and instigated various surveys and expeditions.[10] In the 1870s, the Royal Naval Surveying Service supported the Challenger expedition, a scientific exercise that made many discoveries, laying the foundation of oceanography.In the Second World War, while led by Vice-Admiral Sir John A. Edgell, chart printing moved to Creechbarrow House in Taunton in June 1941.[16] In addition to traditional paper nautical charts and publications, the range has expanded to include a number of digital products and services.The UKHO is committed to the Information Fair Traders Scheme[22] and makes available for reuse those data that are collected as part of its Public Task,[23] which do not include third party Intellectual Property Rights.
Alexander Dalrymple , engraving by Conrad Westermayr .
HMS Challenger by William Frederick Mitchell
A three-masted ship with sails furled, short funnel amidships, flag flying from the stern on left of picture. Two small boats are close by, and a larger vessel decked with bunting is visible in the background.
The expedition's ship Nimrod departing for the South Pole
An example of an Electronic Navigational Chart (NOAA)
TauntonVernon CoakerMinister of State for DefenceMinistry of Defencehydrographicgeospatial dataSomersetSafety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)Admiralty chartsAlexander DalrympleConrad WestermayrAdmiraltyHydrographerGeorge IIIQuiberon BayBrittanySailing DirectionsNotices to Mariners (NMs)Thomas HurdDenmarkSir W. Edward ParryNorthwest PassageHMS ChallengerWilliam Frederick MitchellSouth AtlanticHMS ChanticleerSir Francis Beauforttide tablesHMS BeagleTierra del FuegoPatagoniaCaptain FitzRoyCharles DarwinSouth AmericaFalmouth, CornwallNew ZealandAustraliaRoyal NavyChallenger expeditionoceanographyHMS ChallengerInternational Meridian Conferenceprime meridianHydrographers to the Admiralty BoardJohn WashingtonGeorge Henry RichardsSir Frederick J. O. EvansSir William J. L. WhartonA. Mostyn Field'sNimrod ExpeditionErnest ShackletonRMS TitanicSafety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) conventionWorld War IInternational Hydrographic OrganizationSecond World WarSir Edmund G. IrvingGeorge Stephen RitchieSir David W. Haslamsurvey vesselHMS Vidalecho soundermultibeam surveyHMS Bulldogside-scan sonarBulldog-class survey vesselsNigel R. EssenhighElectronic Chart Display and Information SystemElectronic Navigational Charts (ENCs)HM Nautical Almanac OfficeThe Nautical AlmanacThe Astronomical AlmanacLaw of the Seamaritime limits and boundariesSmall Island Developing States (SIDS)trading fundPublic Data CorporationHydrographer of the NavyAdmiralty chartAustralian PilotGeospatial CommissionHydrographic officeNational Maritime MuseumDepartment of AdmiraltyOffice of First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board of AdmiraltyLord High Admirals CouncilAdmiralty buildingsBoard of AdmiraltyNavy BoardNavy OfficeNavy Pay OfficeOffice of the Naval SecretaryOffice of the First Naval LordOffice of the First Sea LordOffice of the Senior Naval LordOffice of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyOffice of the Permanent Secretary to the AdmiraltyOffice of the Private Secretary to the First Lord of the AdmiraltyOffice of the Naval Assistant to the First Sea LordOffice of the Additional Naval Assistant to the First Sea LordOffice of the Hydrographer of the NavyOffices of the Sea LordsAdmiralty Navy War CouncilAdmiralty War StaffAdmiralty Naval StaffAdministrative Planning DepartmentAdministrative Planning DivisionAir DivisionAnti-Submarine DivisionAnti-Submarine and Warfare DivisionAnti-U-boat DivisionAir Warfare DivisionAir Warfare and Fly Training DivisionAir Warfare and Training DivisionCommunications DivisionConvoy SectionEconomic Warfare DivisionGunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare DivisionGunnery DivisionGunnery and Torpedo DivisionHistorical SectionLocal Defence Division DivisionMercantile Movements DivisionNaval Air DivisionNaval Air Organisation and Training DivisionNaval Artillery and Torpedoes DivisionNavigation and Direction DivisionNavigation DivisionMinesweeping DivisionMobilisation DivisionNaval Intelligence DivisionOperations DivisionOperations Division (Home)Operations Division (Foreign)Plans DivisionPlans Division (Q)Press DivisionSignal DivisionSignal SectionTactical DivisionTactical and Weapons Policy DivisionTorpedo DivisionTorpedo, Anti-Submarine and Minewarfare DivisionTrade DivisionTrade and Operations DivisionTraining and Staff Duties DivisionTactical and Staff Duties DivisionUndersurface Warfare DivisionOffice of the Second Sea LordOffice of the Third Sea LordOffice of the Fourth Sea LordOffice of the Fifth Sea LordAdmiralty Central Dockyard LaboratoryAdmiralty Central Metallurgical LaboratoryAdmiralty Civilian Shore Wireless ServiceAdmiralty Compass ObservatoryAdmiralty ConstabularyAdmiralty Constabulary HeadquartersAdmiralty Engineering LaboratoryAdmiralty Experimental StationAdmiralty Experiment WorksAdmiralty Gunnery EstablishmentAdmiralty Interview BoardAdmiralty Marine Technology EstablishmentAdmiralty Materials LaboratoryAdmiralty Mine Design DepartmentAdmiralty Mining EstablishmentAdmiralty Naval Aircraft Materials LaboratoryAdmiralty Record OfficeAdmiralty Research LaboratoryAdmiralty Signal EstablishmentAdmiralty Signals and Radar EstablishmentAdmiralty Surface Weapons EstablishmentAdmiralty Torpedo Experimental EstablishmentAdmiralty Underwater Weapons EstablishmentAdmiralty Underwater Weapons Launching EstablishmentArchitectural and Engineering Works DepartmentAir DepartmentBoard of Invention and ResearchBoard of LongitudeBritannia Royal Naval CollegeChemical DepartmentCombined Operations HeadquartersCompass DepartmentDepartment of the Accountant-General of the NavyDepartment of Miscellaneous Weapons DevelopmentDepartment of Naval EducationDepartment of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport ServicesDepartment of the Director of DockyardsDepartment of the Director of Naval ConstructionDepartment of the Director of Naval EquipmentDepartment of the Director of Torpedoes and MiningDepartment of the Director of TransportsDepartment of the Director of Underwater WeaponsDepartment of the Director of Underwater Weapons MaterialsDepartment of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and FleetsDepartment of the Medical Director-General of the NavyDepartment of the Physician of the NavyDepartment of the Physician General of the NavyDepartment of the Storekeeper-General of the NavyDepartment of the Surveyor of BuildingsDepartment of the Surveyor of DockyardsDirectorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training)Directorate General TrainingDockyards and Fleet Maintenance DepartmentDockyards BranchExperimental DepartmentFire Control GroupGreenwich Hospital DepartmentJoint Warfare EstablishmentMarine DepartmentMarine Pay DepartmentMedical Consultative BoardMedical DepartmentMedical Examining BoardNautical Almanac OfficeNaval Historical BranchNaval Construction DepartmentNaval Intelligence DepartmentNaval Medical ServiceNaval Mobilisation DepartmentNaval Ordnance DepartmentNaval Ordnance Stores DepartmentNaval Reserve DepartmentNaval Stores DepartmentNaval Training DepartmentNaval Works DepartmentNavy, Army and Air Force InstituteNavy and Army Canteen BoardNavigation DepartmentOffice of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and ReservesOffice of the Admiral Commanding, ReservesOffice of the Admiralty ChemistPacket ServiceRoyal Corps of Naval ConstructorsRoyal Flying CorpsRoyal Marine PoliceRoyal Marines OfficeOffice of the Chaplain of the FleetRoyal Naval AcademyRoyal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air StationsRoyal Naval Armaments DepotRoyal Naval Auxiliary ServiceRoyal Naval Propellant FactoryRoyal Naval CollegeRoyal Naval College and the School for Naval ArchitectureRoyal Naval College, DartmouthRoyal Naval College, GreenwichRoyal Naval College, OsborneRoyal Naval Engineering CollegeRoyal Naval HospitalRoyal Naval Minewatching ServiceRoyal Naval Patrol ServiceRoyal Naval Volunteer ReserveRoyal Naval War CollegeRoyal Naval War College, PortsmouthRoyal Navy DockyardRoyal Navy Medical ServiceRoyal Observatory, GreenwichRoyal School of Naval ArchitectureSchool of Mathematics and Naval ConstructionSea Transport BranchSea Transport DepartmentSea Transport DivisionSixpenny OfficeTorpedo Experimental EstablishmentTransport DepartmentVictualling DepartmentWomen's Royal Naval Service1st Fleet2nd Fleet3rd FleetCommander-in-Chief, AfricaAtlantic FleetCommodore, Arabian Seas and Persian GulfAustralia StationCape of Good Hope StationCape and West Africa StationBattle Cruiser FleetBattle Cruiser ForceCaspian FlotillaChannel FleetChannel SquadronCommander-in-Chief, Coast of IrelandCork StationCoast of ScotlandCommander-in-Chief, ChinaCommander-in-Chief, DoverFlag Officer, East AfricaEast Indies StationEast Indies and China StationEastern FleetFar East FleetEnglish ChannelGrand FleetFlag Officer GibraltarHarwich ForceHome FleetJamaica StationLeith StationCommander-in-Chief, LevantLevant and East MediterraneanCommander-in-Chief, Leeward IslandsMediterranean FleetMedwayNewfoundland StationNew Zealand DivisionNew Zealand Naval ForcesNorth America and West Indies StationCommander-in-Chief, North SeaAdmiral Commanding, Orkneys and ShetlandsPacific FleetPacific StationAdmiral of PatrolsCommander-in-Chief, PlymouthCommander-in-Chief, PortsmouthQueenstown StationRoyal East African NavyRoyal Indian NavyFlag Officer SubmarinesCommander-in-Chief, RosythReserve FleetScotland and Northern IrelandCommander-in-Chief, South AtlanticSouth East Coast of America StationCommander-in-Chief, Thames and MedwayWest Africa SquadronFlag Officer, West AfricaCommander-in-Chief, Western ApproachesLisbon StationWest Indies StationWestern SquadronThames, Medway and NoreCommander-in-Chief, ThamesNarrow SeasDowns StationDepartment of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyDepartment of the Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyAccountant-General's DepartmentComptroller of the NavyDepartment of the Surveyor of the NavyDepartment of the Permanent SecretaryAdmiralty SecretariatAir BranchCivil BranchLegal BranchMilitary BranchNaval BranchShip BranchDepartment of the Additional Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyAdmiralty courtHigh Court of AdmiraltyOffice of the Judge of the High Court of AdmiraltyHigh Court of JusticeOffice of the Judge Advocate of the FleetOffice of the Admiralty AdvocateOffice of the Chief Naval Judge AdvocateOffice of the Counsel for the Affairs of the Admiralty and NavyOffice of the Counsel to the AdmiraltyOffice of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the AdmiraltyOffice of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and NavyOffice of the Solicitor to the Admiralty King's Bench Division (Admiralty) Queens's Bench Division (Admiralty)Probate, Divorce and Admiralty DivisionVice Admiralty courtsMain Building, WhitehallArmed ForcesService branchesNaval ServiceRoyal MarinesBritish ArmyRoyal Air ForcenationScotlandthe IrishDefence CouncilSecretary of State for DefenceMinister of State for the Armed ForcesMinister of State for Defence Procurement and IndustryParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and PeopleMilitaryChief of the Defence StaffVice-Chief of the Defence StaffFirst Sea Lord and Chief of Naval StaffChief of the General StaffChief of the Air StaffCommander Strategic CommandChief of Defence PeopleCivil ServicePermanent Under-Secretary of State for DefenceChief Scientific AdviserAdmiralty BoardArmy BoardAir Force BoardNavy CommandArmy Command Air CommandStrategic CommandDefence Equipment and SupportDefence Science and Technology LaboratoryTop-level budget agenciesmanaged on an arm's-length basisDefence Business ServicesDefence Infrastructure OrganisationDefence DigitalDefence Nuclear OrganisationMinistry of Defence PoliceDefence Safety AuthoritySingle Source Regulations OfficeDefence IntelligenceDefence Secretariat 19Non-departmentalpublic bodiesNational Army MuseumNational Museum of the Royal NavyRoyal Air Force MuseumPublic corporationsOil and Pipelines AgencySheffield Forgemasters