This dataset is free to download without registration. It is reviewed and updated twice annually, normally in March and September, with stable column names wherever possible.
SHA-256: 9970c3260c63b18bf57cd61b71a89d9b469a74f4c860dcfd3db630fdb1f3ecb0
Data preview
| rank | start place | end place | distance miles | distance kilometres | start place url |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aldermaston Wharf | Lower Padworth | 0 | 0 | https://postcodesuk.com/england/berkshire/aldermaston-wharf-berkshire |
| 2 | Althorpe | Burringham | 0 | 0 | https://postcodesuk.com/england/lincolnshire/althorpe-lincolnshire |
| 3 | Ashchurch | Northway | 0 | 0 | https://postcodesuk.com/england/gloucestershire/ashchurch-gloucestershire |
| 4 | Baker's Wood | Higher Denham | 0 | 0 | https://postcodesuk.com/england/buckinghamshire/bakers-wood-buckinghamshire |
| 5 | Bathpool | Monkton Heathfield | 0 | 0 | https://postcodesuk.com/england/somerset/bathpool-somerset |
Data dictionary
- rank
- Position in this ranking.
- start_place
- First place in the pair.
- start_county
- County or equivalent area for the first place.
- start_country
- Country for the first place.
- start_latitude
- Latitude of the first place in decimal degrees.
- start_longitude
- Longitude of the first place in decimal degrees.
- end_place
- Second place in the pair.
- end_county
- County or equivalent area for the second place.
- end_country
- Country for the second place.
- end_latitude
- Latitude of the second place in decimal degrees.
- end_longitude
- Longitude of the second place in decimal degrees.
- distance_miles
- Great-circle surface distance in miles.
- distance_kilometres
- Great-circle surface distance in kilometres.
- distance_metres
- Great-circle surface distance in metres.
- distance_feet
- Great-circle surface distance in feet.
- initial_bearing_degrees
- Initial compass bearing from the first place to the second.
- start_place_url
- Permanent Postcodes UK page for the first place.
- end_place_url
- Permanent Postcodes UK page for the second place.
Methodology and sources
Every unique pair among 7,038 built-up places is compared using great-circle surface distance. The 1,000 shortest pairs are retained. Identical source coordinates can produce a zero distance and are kept as a useful data-quality and settlement-name signal.
- Postcodes UK towns and places directory
Source datasets change over time and can contain omissions or revisions. Verify operational, admissions, financial or safety-critical decisions with the responsible authority.
Licence and suggested attribution
You may use this compilation for research, analysis and publishing with attribution to Postcodes UK and compliance with the applicable underlying source licences. The download does not transfer or override third-party rights.
Suggested attribution:
Source: Postcodes UK (postcodesuk.com), “1,000 Closest Place Pairs in Great Britain”, September 2026, https://postcodesuk.com/data-downloads/closest-place-pairs. Derived from Postcodes UK location data and the named source datasets; underlying source rights and attribution statements apply.
Office for National Statistics and other public-sector information is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcode geography may contain Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail rights. HM Land Registry aggregates are derived from Price Paid Data. School fields derive from Department for Education and Ofsted sources.