Centre points of the United Kingdom

There has long been debate over the exact location of the geographical centre of the United Kingdom, and its constituent countries, due to the complexity and method of the calculation, such as whether to include offshore islands, and the fact that erosion will cause the position to change over time.

For centuries Meriden, West Midlands held the claim to be the geographical centre of England, and there has been a stone cross there commemorating the claim for at least 500 years. The justification is that the point furthest from the sea is in the vicinity of Meriden. A rival claim for the true location of the centre of England is made by the site of a tree, the Midland Oak, situated on the boundary between Lillington and Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Similarly, the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland (NY706640) still sports banners stating that it is the 'Centre of Britain', although depending on how it is calculated the centre can also be said to be Dunsop Bridge in Lancashire, 71 miles (114km) to the south.

Schiehallion, a mountain in Perthshire, is sometimes described as the centre of Scotland.

However, 2002 studies by the Ordnance Survey pinpointed the centres more precisely, and it is their results that are quoted here. Their calculations find the position of the centroid of the two-dimensional shapes made by the countries. All locations include offshore islands, unless stated.

History

It was once falsely believed that Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire was the centre of England. An old military installation still exists there built as a stronghold to protect King George III from the invading French. In such an event, the canal system runs from London directly into the barracks.