Yes. The data is provided free of charge for both commercial and non-commercial use. Welsh Government LiDAR data is available without restrictions, while NRW data requires attribution.
How to Download Free LiDAR Data from Wales
Access high-resolution DTM and DSM data from DataMapWales — the official Welsh Government spatial data platform. No account required.
What is DataMapWales?
DataMapWales is a shared data platform developed by the Welsh Government and Welsh public sector organizations. It provides free access to LiDAR elevation data covering Wales, including modern 1-metre resolution datasets and historic archive data.
Key Features
- Two main data sources — Welsh Government LiDAR (2020-2023) and NRW Historic Archive
- 1-metre resolution for modern datasets
- DTM and DSM products as tiles or country-wide mosaics
- Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs) for streaming
- No account required — immediate downloads
Coverage Overview
| Welsh Govt LiDAR | 2020–2023 | 1m |
| NRW Archive | 1998–2020 | 0.25m–2m |
British National Grid (EPSG:27700)
Step-by-Step Download Guide
01
Choose Your Download Method
DataMapWales offers three ways to download LiDAR data:
Option A: Country-Wide Mosaics (Fastest for Full Coverage)
Option B: Individual Tile Downloads — Use the interactive map viewer
Option C: Stream via COG Links — Copy URLs directly into QGIS
02
Access the Interactive Map
- Visit the LiDAR Data Download map
- Or access the LiDAR Viewer for previewing
03
Select Your Area of Interest
- Pan and zoom to your area using map controls
- Turn on the tile index layer (click eye icon)
- Click on a tile to see its attributes
04
Download Your Data
- A popup panel appears with tile information
- Click the DTM link or DSM link to download
- The file downloads directly as a GeoTIFF
Available File Formats
| Product | Description | Resolution | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTM | Digital Terrain Model (bare earth) | 1m / 0.25-2m | Flood modeling, hydrology |
| DSM | Digital Surface Model (with features) | 1m / 0.25-2m | Urban planning, forestry |
| Hillshade | Pre-rendered shaded relief | 1m | Visualization, archaeology |
Pro Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Welsh Government LiDAR (2020-2023): Modern 1m resolution, single capture per area, optimized for current applications.
NRW Historic Archive (1998-2020): Variable resolution (0.25m to 2m), multiple captures for some areas, valuable for historical comparison.
Yes, but with caveats. The Welsh Government states the data was not created specifically for flood modelling, so additional processing may be required. Review for artificial obstructions like bridge decks.
No. DataMapWales allows immediate downloads without registration. Simply use the map viewer or download COG files directly via the links provided.
Yes. DataMapWales provides OGC-standard web services for WMS (viewing) and WFS (downloading boundaries). Access endpoint URLs from the tile catalogue pages.
Ready to Process Your Wales LiDAR Data?
Lidarvisor makes it easy to visualize, analyze, and export your downloaded GeoTIFF files. Full support for British National Grid (EPSG:27700).