A unique and historic alignment of the three definitions of north has concluded its journey across England, departing into the North Sea in what scientists describe as a 'once-in-a-lifetime occurrence'.
The End of a Remarkable Journey
On December 13, 2025, the point where true north, magnetic north, and grid north perfectly aligned left England at Berwick-upon-Tweed, according to experts at the British Geological Survey (BGS). This marked the end of a three-year traverse through the heart of the country, a phenomenon not recorded in Britain before.
The alignment first made landfall in November 2022 at Langton Matravers on the Dorset coast. For just over three years, there existed a singular point in England where a compass, an Ordnance Survey map, and the Earth's axis were all in perfect agreement on the direction of north.
'It's been a privilege to be able to observe this phenomenon over the past few years,' said Dr Ciarán Beggan, a geophysicist at the BGS. He noted that while it is a part of geospatial history, its departure has no practical impact for navigators, pilots, or captains.
Understanding the Three Norths
Although 'north' seems simple, it has three distinct definitions:
- True North: The direction towards the geographic North Pole, defined by the Earth's rotation.
- Grid North: The direction of the vertical grid lines on Ordnance Survey maps, which converge.
- Magnetic North: The direction a compass needle points, aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, which is generated by molten iron in the planet's core.
This 'special line' where true north and grid north align is the 2°W longitude meridian. The historic event occurred as magnetic north slowly wandered across this line.
A Path Through England and Into Scotland
The alignment's journey northwards was meticulously tracked. After starting in Dorset, it passed through:
- Devizes, Wiltshire (May 2023)
- Lower Dowdeswell, Gloucestershire (September 2023)
- Woodgate Valley Country Park, Birmingham (January 2024)
- Leek, Staffordshire (May 2024)
- Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire (October 2024)
- Eggleston, North Pennines (April 2025)
- Flotterton, Northumberland (August 2025)
- Berwick-upon-Tweed (December 2025)
By the time it left England, the alignment point had travelled approximately 358 miles (576km) in 1,127 days, moving at an average speed of about 0.013 miles per hour.
Its journey across Britain is not yet complete. After crossing the North Sea, it is predicted to make landfall again in Scotland at Drums, south of Newburgh, around the end of October 2026. It will then pass through Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire before a final Scottish stop at Fraserburgh around mid-December 2026.
A Rare Event Centuries in the Making
Dr Beggan emphasised the rarity of the event, calling it a 'once-in-a-lifetime occurrence' largely due to the constant wandering of magnetic north, which moves about 30 miles per year.
'The magnetic field is not predictable in the long term, so we don't know how many hundreds of years it will take for this historic alignment to occur again,' he stated.
The alignment began in 2014 when magnetic north moved east of grid north for parts of Britain for the first time in over 350 years, briefly changing navigation calculations. The three norths will remain aligned for a couple more years before magnetic north drifts away from the line of true and grid north, eventually leaving the British National Grid entirely.
This extraordinary convergence serves as a powerful reminder of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of our planet's deep geological forces, playing out in a slow-motion spectacle across the British landscape.
