Ordnance Survey was at the forefront of technical innovation in using computing technology, which revolutionised everything, from admin to air survey.
Chessington
The earliest equipment was used for survey computation, such as levelling. This was punched-card machinery, mainly IBM, and located at Chessington. This was introduced on a trial basis in 1953.
By autumn 1956, an IBM 626 calculator had been installed at Chessington. This was joined in 1958 by additional equipment used for levelling, traversing, tachometric survey , some Photogrammetry and triangulation.
See Computing at Chessington for a more detailed look at the equipment there.
OS also used a more powerful computer at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington (London). Firstly, the ACE (an early computer designed by Alan Turing) for “calculation for the formation of stop and block coordinates”, in 1953/54. The final production version of the ACE was called the DEUCE and was introduced in 1955. OS used it the following year for the 6 inch resurvey of Scotland.
English Electric DEUCE computer 
English Electric DEUCE computer
Maybush
This page has a summary about ICT at Maybush, see Computing and Telecoms at Maybush for the full story.
The original plans for the new Maybush HQ do not include any dedicated computer accommodation; however that was changed during the second half of the 1960s and the later plans show provision of a computer suite on the 4th floor of West Block (W404) – space that was originally used for storage. The fact that part of West Block has a glazed roof but suspended ceiling throughout shows that this was not originally intended for this.
An ICL 1902 mainframe was installed along with various smaller rooms for data preparation and tape storage and a huge ventilation plant was installed adjacent to this – see West Block 4th floor. The ICL mainframe did the work of all the punch-card equipment at Chessington as well as the work sent to the NPL and the photogrammetric computation. Additional functionality was added shortly after.
ICL mainframe 
Printer for ICL mainframe 
ICL mainframe 
ICL mainframe tape drive 
ICL mainframe – primitive hard disk drives
In the 1970s, an additional computer room was constructed next to W404 – this was W407 and remained in use as a data centre until OS moved to Adanac Park.
W407 computer room with ICL mainframe equipment. 
W407 computer room 
W407 central aisle 
Centre aisle of W407 facing SE towards main doors
Telecoms
The Maybush HQ had an automatic PABX (internal telephone exchange but also manual operators as well.
Last updated on Wednesday 17 February 2021 by GaryReggae