diff --git a/web/src/components/map.ts b/web/src/components/map.ts
index 52e88d5..e11b859 100644
--- a/web/src/components/map.ts
+++ b/web/src/components/map.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import ContextMenu from './contextmenu.ts'
 import { roundPosition } from '../util.ts'
 import { setupPhones } from '../phones.ts'
 import { setupTracking } from '../tracking.ts'
+import { setupGrid } from '../grid.ts'
 import { loadIcons } from '../icons.ts'
 import { LngLat, LngLatLike } from 'maplibre-gl'
 
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ export class EMFMap extends LitElement {
   ]
 
   layer_config: (Layer | LayerGroup)[] = [
-    new Layer('g', 'Grid', 'grid_'),
+    new LayerGroup('Grid', [new Layer('g', 'Lines', 'grid_'), new Layer('R', 'References', 'gridref_')]),
     new LayerGroup('Background', [
       new Layer('b', 'Map', 'background_', 'background', true),
       new Layer('s', 'Slope', 'slope', 'background'),
@@ -227,6 +228,7 @@ export class EMFMap extends LitElement {
     loadIcons(map)
     setupPhones(map)
     setupTracking(map)
+    setupGrid(map)
 
     map.touchZoomRotate.disableRotation()
 
diff --git a/web/src/grid.ts b/web/src/grid.ts
index e40404b..f61e4df 100644
--- a/web/src/grid.ts
+++ b/web/src/grid.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { css, LitElement, html } from 'lit'
 import { customElement, property } from 'lit/decorators.js'
+import { VectorTile } from '@mapbox/vector-tile'
+import Pbf from 'pbf'
+import { center } from './style/map_style.ts'
 
 @customElement('emf-map-grid-position')
 export class GridPositionControl extends LitElement {
@@ -66,3 +69,144 @@ export class GridPosition implements maplibregl.IControl {
     this._map = undefined
   }
 }
+
+type XY = [number, number]
+
+/* Zoom at which the whole grid fits inside a single site_plan tile, so every
+   cell is present and unclipped. Matches the search index (searchindex.ts). */
+const GRID_TILE_ZOOM = 11
+const TILE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000
+
+function tileForPoint(lng: number, lat: number, z: number): { x: number; y: number } {
+  const latR = (lat * Math.PI) / 180
+  const x = Math.floor(((lng + 180) / 360) * 2 ** z)
+  const y = Math.floor(((1 - Math.log(Math.tan(latR) + 1 / Math.cos(latR)) / Math.PI) / 2) * 2 ** z)
+  return { x, y }
+}
+
+/* Centre of a (rotated-rectangle) cell. Its axis-aligned bounding box is centred
+   on the cell centre, so this is robust to vertex count and winding. */
+function cellCentre(geometry: GeoJSON.Geometry): XY {
+  const rings =
+    geometry.type === 'Polygon'
+      ? geometry.coordinates
+      : geometry.type === 'MultiPolygon'
+        ? geometry.coordinates.flat()
+        : []
+  let minX = Infinity
+  let minY = Infinity
+  let maxX = -Infinity
+  let maxY = -Infinity
+  for (const ring of rings) {
+    for (const [lng, lat] of ring) {
+      if (lng < minX) minX = lng
+      if (lng > maxX) maxX = lng
+      if (lat < minY) minY = lat
+      if (lat > maxY) maxY = lat
+    }
+  }
+  return [(minX + maxX) / 2, (minY + maxY) / 2]
+}
+
+function labelPoint(coordinates: XY, axis: 'col' | 'row' | 'cell', label: string): GeoJSON.Feature {
+  return { type: 'Feature', geometry: { type: 'Point', coordinates }, properties: { axis, label } }
+}
+
+/* Generate the grid labels as real geographic points so they stay glued to the
+   grid during zoom (a screen-space text offset drifts instead). The whole grid
+   fits in one z11 site_plan tile, so a single fetch gives every cell unclipped:
+   one point per cell (the "F7" references), plus column letters just above the
+   top edge and row numbers just left of the grid, stepped out along the grid's
+   rotation. Mirrors the tile fetch/decode used by the search index. */
+export async function setupGrid(map: maplibregl.Map) {
+  // getStyle() is only valid once the style has loaded. `idle` fires repeatedly,
+  // so this self-heals if isStyleLoaded() reads false transiently after load.
+  if (!map.isStyleLoaded()) {
+    map.once('idle', () => setupGrid(map))
+    return
+  }
+  try {
+    const source = map.getStyle().sources['site_plan']
+    if (!source || source.type !== 'vector' || !source.tiles?.length) {
+      throw new Error('site_plan source has no tile URL')
+    }
+    const [lng, lat] = center
+    const { x, y } = tileForPoint(lng, lat, GRID_TILE_ZOOM)
+    const url = source.tiles[0]
+      .replace('{z}', String(GRID_TILE_ZOOM))
+      .replace('{x}', String(x))
+      .replace('{y}', String(y))
+
+    const resp = await fetch(url, { signal: AbortSignal.timeout(TILE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS) })
+    if (!resp.ok) throw new Error(`grid tile fetch failed: ${resp.status}`)
+    const layer = new VectorTile(new Pbf(new Uint8Array(await resp.arrayBuffer()))).layers['grid']
+    if (!layer) throw new Error('grid layer missing from site plan tile')
+
+    const centres = new Map<string, XY>()
+    for (let i = 0; i < layer.length; i++) {
+      const feature = layer.feature(i)
+      const { column, row } = feature.properties
+      if (column == null || row == null) continue
+      const key = `${column}|${row}`
+      if (!centres.has(key)) {
+        centres.set(key, cellCentre(feature.toGeoJSON(x, y, GRID_TILE_ZOOM).geometry))
+      }
+    }
+
+    const cols = [...new Set([...centres.keys()].map((k) => k.split('|')[0]))].sort()
+    const rows = [...new Set([...centres.keys()].map((k) => Number(k.split('|')[1])))].sort((a, b) => a - b)
+    if (cols.length < 2 || rows.length < 2) throw new Error('grid too small to label')
+
+    // Average step vector between adjacent columns / rows across the lattice.
+    const step = (along: 'col' | 'row'): XY => {
+      let sx = 0
+      let sy = 0
+      let n = 0
+      for (const c of cols) {
+        for (const r of rows) {
+          const from = centres.get(`${c}|${r}`)
+          const to =
+            along === 'col'
+              ? centres.get(`${cols[cols.indexOf(c) + 1]}|${r}`)
+              : centres.get(`${c}|${rows[rows.indexOf(r) + 1]}`)
+          if (from && to) {
+            sx += to[0] - from[0]
+            sy += to[1] - from[1]
+            n++
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      return n ? [sx / n, sy / n] : [0, 0]
+    }
+    const colStep = step('col')
+    const rowStep = step('row')
+    const minCol = cols[0]
+    const minRow = rows[0]
+
+    const features: GeoJSON.Feature[] = []
+    // In-cell references.
+    for (const [key, centre] of centres) {
+      const [c, r] = key.split('|')
+      features.push(labelPoint(centre, 'cell', `${c}${r}`))
+    }
+    // Column letters, one step above the top row.
+    for (const c of cols) {
+      const top = centres.get(`${c}|${minRow}`)
+      if (top) features.push(labelPoint([top[0] - rowStep[0], top[1] - rowStep[1]], 'col', c))
+    }
+    // Row numbers, one step left of the left column.
+    for (const r of rows) {
+      const left = centres.get(`${minCol}|${r}`)
+      if (left) {
+        features.push(labelPoint([left[0] - colStep[0], left[1] - colStep[1]], 'row', String(r)))
+      }
+    }
+
+    ;(map.getSource('grid_labels') as maplibregl.GeoJSONSource).setData({
+      type: 'FeatureCollection',
+      features,
+    })
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.warn('Grid: labels unavailable', e)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/web/src/style/emf.ts b/web/src/style/emf.ts
index ac25888..c932b59 100644
--- a/web/src/style/emf.ts
+++ b/web/src/style/emf.ts
@@ -793,6 +793,51 @@ export const layers: LayerSpecificationWithZIndex[] = [
       'line-color': '#666',
     },
   },
+  {
+    /* Column letters (A–L) just above the top edge of the grid, and row numbers
+       (1–18) just left of it (everything in `grid_labels` that isn't an in-cell
+       reference). The points are generated from the grid cells at runtime
+       (setupGrid) so the labels are geo-anchored and stay put during zoom, like
+       the in-cell references. Toggles with the "Grid > Lines" layer. */
+    id: 'grid_edge_labels',
+    type: 'symbol',
+    source: 'grid_labels',
+    minzoom: 13,
+    filter: ['!=', ['get', 'axis'], 'cell'],
+    layout: {
+      'text-field': ['get', 'label'],
+      'text-font': ['Open Sans Regular'],
+      'text-size': ['interpolate', ['linear'], ['zoom'], 14, 12, 18, 22],
+      'text-allow-overlap': true,
+      'text-ignore-placement': true,
+    },
+    paint: {
+      'text-color': '#333',
+      'text-halo-color': 'rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9)',
+      'text-halo-width': 2,
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    /* Full grid reference (e.g. "F7") centred in every cell, from the generated
+       `grid_labels` points. Left to the collision engine (no allow-overlap) so
+       dense refs are thinned when zoomed out. Optional layer (gridref_ prefix). */
+    id: 'gridref_labels',
+    type: 'symbol',
+    source: 'grid_labels',
+    minzoom: 15,
+    filter: ['==', ['get', 'axis'], 'cell'],
+    layout: {
+      visibility: 'none',
+      'text-field': ['get', 'label'],
+      'text-font': ['Open Sans Regular'],
+      'text-size': ['interpolate', ['linear'], ['zoom'], 14, 11, 18, 18],
+    },
+    paint: {
+      'text-color': '#555',
+      'text-halo-color': 'rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9)',
+      'text-halo-width': 2,
+    },
+  },
   {
     id: 'villages_symbol',
     type: 'circle',
diff --git a/web/src/style/map_style.ts b/web/src/style/map_style.ts
index 1b2511a..3b757ca 100644
--- a/web/src/style/map_style.ts
+++ b/web/src/style/map_style.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ const style: StyleSpecification = {
       type: 'geojson',
       data: { type: 'FeatureCollection', features: [] },
     },
+    // Outer edge labels (A–L / 1–18), generated from the grid cells at runtime
+    // by setupGrid() so they sit just outside the grid and stay geo-anchored.
+    grid_labels: {
+      type: 'geojson',
+      data: { type: 'FeatureCollection', features: [] },
+    },
     search_results: {
       type: 'geojson',
       data: { type: 'FeatureCollection', features: [] },