What is a bearing?
A bearing is the direction of a place measured clockwise from north (000°). A bearing is always written in three digits, for example 045°, 090° or 270°. It is measured with a protractor, using the grid-north lines on a topographic map as the reference.
Key idea
Bearings are measured clockwise from north and written in 3 digits. East = 090°, South = 180°, West = 270°, North = 000°.
Grid references
A topographic map is drawn with vertical grid lines (eastings) and horizontal grid lines (northings). You always read the easting first (left to right), then the northing (bottom to top) — remember "along the corridor, then up the stairs".
- A four-figure grid reference names one grid square of 1 km².
- A six-figure grid reference gives a more precise point inside that square.
For example, the grid reference 348561 means easting 348 and northing 561. To find the sixth figure, each square is imagined as divided into ten equal parts. This skill lets you pinpoint a town, bridge or hilltop accurately in the SPM examination. If a forward bearing is less than 180°, its back bearing is found by adding 180°.