diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-common/changelog.d/622.misc.md b/packages/overture-schema-common/changelog.d/622.misc.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6e2aace4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-common/changelog.d/622.misc.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added `deepdiff` to the development dependency group.
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-common/pyproject.toml b/packages/overture-schema-common/pyproject.toml
index e63298425..d652ccb74 100644
--- a/packages/overture-schema-common/pyproject.toml
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-common/pyproject.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ packages = ["src/overture"]
 
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [
+    "deepdiff>=8.6.0",
     "jsonpath-ng>=1.7.0",
     "types-pyyaml>=6.0.12.20250516",
     "types-shapely>=2.1.0.20250710",
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/README.md b/packages/overture-schema-validation/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41cda9f8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# overture-schema-validation
+
+Validate data against the union of all discovered Overture Maps models.
+
+This package provides `validate` and `validate_json`, which check a Python object or JSON document against every Overture model registered on the `overture.models` entry point and return the matching validated model instance.
+
+## Installation
+
+```bash
+pip install overture-schema-validation
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+```python
+from overture.schema.validation import validate, validate_json
+
+# Validate a Python object (a dict or a model instance)
+feature = validate({"type": "segment", "id": "...", "geometry": "..."})
+
+# Validate a JSON document
+feature = validate_json('{"type": "segment", "id": "...", "geometry": "..."}')
+```
+
+Both raise `pydantic.ValidationError` when the input matches no model. Which models participate is resolved at runtime by entry-point discovery, so installing additional Overture theme packages widens what these functions accept.
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/622.misc.md b/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/622.misc.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53379037c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/622.misc.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Extracted `validate()` and `validate_json()` into the new `overture-schema-validation` package, off the shared `overture.schema` namespace root.
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/README.md b/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83ffd44b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/changelog.d/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Changelog fragments
+
+[towncrier](https://towncrier.readthedocs.io) news fragments for this package.
+One file per change to this package (including patch-level fixes and internal
+work):
+
+```text
+changelog.d/<issue-or-pr>.<type>.md
+```
+
+Types, body format, the preview command, and when a fragment is required are
+documented once in
+[docs/versioning.md -> Changelog quick start](../../../docs/versioning.md#changelog-quick-start).
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> This README also keeps `changelog.d/` tracked in git, so no `.gitkeep` is
+> needed. Leave it in place even when the directory holds no fragments.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/pyproject.toml b/packages/overture-schema-validation/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abc30a0c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["hatchling"]
+build-backend = "hatchling.build"
+
+[project]
+maintainers = [
+    {name = "Overture Maps Schema Working Group"},
+]
+name = "overture-schema-validation"
+version = "0.1.1"
+description = "Validation helpers for the union of all discovered Overture models"
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
+license = "MIT"
+readme = "README.md"
+dependencies = [
+    "overture-schema-common",
+    "overture-schema-system",
+    "pydantic>=2.12.0",
+]
+
+[project.urls]
+Homepage = "https://overturemaps.org"
+Source = "https://github.com/OvertureMaps/schema"
+Issues = "https://github.com/OvertureMaps/schema/issues"
+
+[tool.uv.sources]
+overture-schema-common = { workspace = true }
+overture-schema-system = { workspace = true }
+
+[dependency-groups]
+dev = [
+    "pyyaml>=6.0.2",
+    "yamlcore>=0.0.4",
+]
+
+[tool.hatch.build.targets.wheel]
+packages = ["src/overture"]
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/__init__.py b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8db66d3d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/__init__.py b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8db66d3d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/validation/__init__.py b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/validation/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cea00b0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/validation/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+from collections.abc import Generator
+from functools import reduce
+from operator import or_
+from types import UnionType
+from typing import Annotated, Any, Literal, cast, get_args, get_origin
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, Tag, TypeAdapter
+
+from overture.schema.common import OvertureFeature
+from overture.schema.system.discovery import discover_models
+from overture.schema.system.feature import Feature
+
+
+def validate(data: object) -> BaseModel:
+    """
+    Validate a Python object, which can be a dictionary or model instance, using the union of all
+    discovered Overture models.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    data : object
+        Python object to validate against the model.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    BaseModel
+        Validated model class
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    ValidationError
+        If `data` is not valid according to one of the discovered Overture models
+    """
+    tap = _union_type_adapter()
+
+    return cast(BaseModel, tap.validate_python(data))
+
+
+def validate_json(json_data: str | bytes | bytearray) -> BaseModel:
+    """
+    Validate JSON data using the union of all discovered Overture models.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    json_data : str | bytes | bytearray
+        JSON data to validate
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    BaseModel
+        Validated model class
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    ValidationError
+        If `json_data` is not valid according to one of the discovered Overture models
+    """
+    tap = _union_type_adapter()
+
+    return cast(BaseModel, tap.validate_json(json_data))
+
+
+__all__ = [
+    "validate",
+    "validate_json",
+]
+
+
+def _union_type_adapter() -> TypeAdapter:
+    """
+    Return a Pydantic type adapter that can validate the union of all models discovered using entry
+    points.
+    """
+    models = discover_models()
+    if not models:
+        raise RuntimeError("no registered models found via entry points")
+
+    discriminated_models: tuple[type[OvertureFeature], ...] = tuple(
+        cast(type[OvertureFeature], m) for m in models.values() if _can_discriminate(m)
+    )
+    discriminated_union: UnionType | None = _discriminated_union(discriminated_models)
+
+    non_discriminated_models: Generator[type[BaseModel], None, None] = (
+        m for m in models.values() if not _can_discriminate(m)
+    )
+    non_discriminated_union: UnionType | None = reduce(
+        or_, non_discriminated_models, None
+    )
+
+    if discriminated_union and non_discriminated_union:
+        model_union = discriminated_union | non_discriminated_union
+    elif discriminated_union:
+        model_union = discriminated_union
+    elif non_discriminated_union:
+        model_union = non_discriminated_union
+    else:
+        raise RuntimeError("logic error: unreachable code")
+
+    return TypeAdapter(model_union)
+
+
+def _discriminated_union(
+    feature_classes: tuple[type[OvertureFeature], ...],
+) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
+    """
+    Create a discriminated union of the Overture features since they can be discriminated on the
+    `type` field. This is just a performance optimization, and the union will work even if no models
+    are discriminated.
+    """
+    if not feature_classes:
+        return None
+    else:
+        return Annotated[
+            reduce(
+                or_,
+                (
+                    Annotated[f, Tag(cast(str, _typeliteral(f)))]
+                    for f in feature_classes
+                ),
+            ),
+            Field(discriminator=Feature.field_discriminator("type", *feature_classes)),
+        ]
+
+
+def _can_discriminate(model_class: object) -> bool:
+    """
+    Return true if given value can participate in a discriminated union on the `type` field because
+    it is an Overture feature with where the `type` field has a single literal value.
+    """
+    return (
+        isinstance(model_class, type)
+        and issubclass(model_class, OvertureFeature)
+        and _typeliteral(cast(type[OvertureFeature], model_class)) is not None
+    )
+
+
+def _typeliteral(feature_class: type[OvertureFeature]) -> object:
+    """
+    Return the literal value of the Overture Feature model's `type` field, if it has one, or `None`
+    if it does not.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    feature_class : type[OvertureFeature]
+        Overture feature model class
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    object
+        The literal constrained value of the model class' `type` field, or `None` if the `type`
+        field does not have a literal value
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    TypeError
+        If the `type` field is constrained to `Literal[None]`, as this is absurd
+    """
+    type_type = feature_class.model_fields["type"].annotation
+    while get_origin(type_type) is Annotated:
+        type_type = get_args(type_type)[0]
+    if get_origin(type_type) is not Literal:
+        return None
+    literal = get_args(type_type)[0]
+    if literal is None:
+        raise TypeError(
+            f"literal value of `type` field for `{OvertureFeature.__name__}` class "
+            f"`{feature_class.__name__}` is constrained to `None`"
+        )
+    return literal
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/validation/py.typed b/packages/overture-schema-validation/src/overture/schema/validation/py.typed
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema/tests/test_schema_validation.py b/packages/overture-schema-validation/tests/test_schema_validation.py
similarity index 99%
rename from packages/overture-schema/tests/test_schema_validation.py
rename to packages/overture-schema-validation/tests/test_schema_validation.py
index b3ec4399f..13702a5a9 100644
--- a/packages/overture-schema/tests/test_schema_validation.py
+++ b/packages/overture-schema-validation/tests/test_schema_validation.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 import yaml
-from overture.schema import validate, validate_json
+from overture.schema.validation import validate, validate_json
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 from yamlcore import CoreLoader  # type: ignore
 
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema/changelog.d/622.misc.md b/packages/overture-schema/changelog.d/622.misc.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f4b755ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overture-schema/changelog.d/622.misc.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Moved `validate()` and `validate_json()` into the new `overture-schema-validation` dependency; the `overture.schema` namespace root is now a bare pkgutil shim.
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema/pyproject.toml b/packages/overture-schema/pyproject.toml
index 22d67998b..68908307b 100644
--- a/packages/overture-schema/pyproject.toml
+++ b/packages/overture-schema/pyproject.toml
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "overture-schema-theme-divisions>=0.1.1",
     "overture-schema-theme-places>=0.1.1",
     "overture-schema-theme-transportation>=0.1.1",
-    "overture-schema-common>=0.1.1",
-    "pydantic>=2.12.0",
-    "pyyaml>=6.0.2",
+    "overture-schema-validation>=0.1.1",
     "overture-schema-cli>=0.1.1",
 ]
 description = "Complete Overture Maps schema collection with all themes and types"
@@ -28,24 +26,17 @@ Issues = "https://github.com/OvertureMaps/schema/issues"
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
 overture-schema-cli = { workspace = true }
-overture-schema-common = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-addresses = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-base = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-buildings = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-divisions = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-places = { workspace = true }
 overture-schema-theme-transportation = { workspace = true }
+overture-schema-validation = { workspace = true }
 
 [build-system]
 build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 requires = ["hatchling"]
 
-[dependency-groups]
-dev = [
-    "pyyaml>=6.0.2",
-    "deepdiff>=8.6.0",
-    "yamlcore>=0.0.4",
-]
-
 [tool.hatch.build.targets.wheel]
 packages = ["src/overture"]
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema/src/overture/schema/__init__.py b/packages/overture-schema/src/overture/schema/__init__.py
index 3728b389a..8db66d3d0 100644
--- a/packages/overture-schema/src/overture/schema/__init__.py
+++ b/packages/overture-schema/src/overture/schema/__init__.py
@@ -1,171 +1 @@
 __path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
-
-from collections.abc import Generator
-from functools import reduce
-from operator import or_
-from types import UnionType
-from typing import Annotated, Any, Literal, cast, get_args, get_origin
-
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, Tag, TypeAdapter
-
-from overture.schema.common import OvertureFeature
-from overture.schema.system.discovery import discover_models
-from overture.schema.system.feature import Feature
-
-
-def validate(data: object) -> BaseModel:
-    """
-    Validate a Python object, which can be a dictionary or model instance, using the union of all
-    discovered Overture models.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    data : object
-        Python object to validate against the model.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    BaseModel
-        Validated model class
-
-    Raises
-    ------
-    ValidationError
-        If `data` is not valid according to one of the discovered Overture models
-    """
-    tap = _union_type_adapter()
-
-    return cast(BaseModel, tap.validate_python(data))
-
-
-def validate_json(json_data: str | bytes | bytearray) -> BaseModel:
-    """
-    Validate JSON data using the union of all discovered Overture models.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    data : str | bytes | bytearray
-        JSON data to validate
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    BaseModel
-        Validated model class
-
-    Raises
-    ------
-    ValidationError
-        If `json_data` is not valid according to one of the discovered Overture models
-    """
-    tap = _union_type_adapter()
-
-    return cast(BaseModel, tap.validate_json(json_data))
-
-
-__all__ = [
-    "validate",
-    "validate_json",
-]
-
-
-def _union_type_adapter() -> TypeAdapter:
-    """
-    Return a Pydantic type adapter that can validate the union of all models discovered using entry
-    points.
-    """
-    models = discover_models()
-    if not models:
-        raise RuntimeError("no registered models found via entry points")
-
-    discriminated_models: tuple[type[OvertureFeature], ...] = tuple(
-        cast(type[OvertureFeature], m) for m in models.values() if _can_discriminate(m)
-    )
-    discriminated_union: UnionType | None = _discriminated_union(discriminated_models)
-
-    non_discriminated_models: Generator[type[BaseModel], None, None] = (
-        m for m in models.values() if not _can_discriminate(m)
-    )
-    non_discriminated_union: UnionType | None = reduce(
-        or_, non_discriminated_models, None
-    )
-
-    if discriminated_union and non_discriminated_union:
-        model_union = discriminated_union | non_discriminated_union
-    elif discriminated_union:
-        model_union = discriminated_union
-    elif non_discriminated_union:
-        model_union = non_discriminated_union
-    else:
-        raise RuntimeError("logic error: unreachable code")
-
-    return TypeAdapter(model_union)
-
-
-def _discriminated_union(
-    feature_classes: tuple[type[OvertureFeature], ...],
-) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
-    """
-    Create a discriminated union of the Overture features since they can be discriminated on the
-    `type` field. This is just a performance optimization, and the union will work even if no models
-    are discriminated.
-    """
-    if not feature_classes:
-        return None
-    else:
-        return Annotated[
-            reduce(
-                or_,
-                (
-                    Annotated[f, Tag(cast(str, _typeliteral(f)))]
-                    for f in feature_classes
-                ),
-            ),
-            Field(discriminator=Feature.field_discriminator("type", *feature_classes)),
-        ]
-
-
-def _can_discriminate(model_class: object) -> bool:
-    """
-    Return true if given value can participate in a discriminated union on the `type` field because
-    it is an Overture feature with where the `type` field has a single literal value.
-    """
-    return (
-        isinstance(model_class, type)
-        and issubclass(model_class, OvertureFeature)
-        and _typeliteral(cast(type[OvertureFeature], model_class)) is not None
-    )
-
-
-def _typeliteral(feature_class: type[OvertureFeature]) -> object:
-    """
-    Return the literal value of the Overture Feature model's `type` field, if it has one, or `None`
-    if it does not.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    feature_class : type[OvertureFeature]
-        Overture feature model class
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    object
-        The literal constrained value of the model class' `type` field, or `None` if the `type`
-        field does not have a literal value
-
-    Raises
-    ------
-    TypeError
-        If the `type` field is constrained to `Literal[None]`, as this is absurd
-    """
-    type_type = feature_class.model_fields["type"].annotation
-    while get_origin(type_type) is Annotated:
-        type_type = get_args(Annotated)[0]
-    if get_origin(type_type) is not Literal:
-        return None
-    literal = get_args(type_type)[0]
-    if literal is None:
-        raise TypeError(
-            f"literal value of `type` field for `{OvertureFeature.__name__}` class "
-            f"`{feature_class.__name__}` is constrained to `None`"
-        )
-    return literal
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9f5eea2bc..dd83dc5b2 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pythonpath = [
     "packages/overture-schema-theme-divisions/tests",
     "packages/overture-schema-theme-places/tests",
     "packages/overture-schema-theme-transportation/tests",
-    "packages/overture-schema/tests",
+    "packages/overture-schema-validation/tests",
 ]
 verbosity_subtests = 0
 
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 4a025e9bc..40975c561 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ members = [
     "overture-schema-theme-divisions",
     "overture-schema-theme-places",
     "overture-schema-theme-transportation",
+    "overture-schema-validation",
     "overture-schema-workspace",
 ]
 
@@ -896,43 +897,25 @@ version = "1.17.1"
 source = { editable = "packages/overture-schema" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "overture-schema-cli" },
-    { name = "overture-schema-common" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-addresses" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-base" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-buildings" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-divisions" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-places" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-transportation" },
-    { name = "pydantic" },
-    { name = "pyyaml" },
-]
-
-[package.dev-dependencies]
-dev = [
-    { name = "deepdiff" },
-    { name = "pyyaml" },
-    { name = "yamlcore" },
+    { name = "overture-schema-validation" },
 ]
 
 [package.metadata]
 requires-dist = [
     { name = "overture-schema-cli", editable = "packages/overture-schema-cli" },
-    { name = "overture-schema-common", editable = "packages/overture-schema-common" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-addresses", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-addresses" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-base", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-base" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-buildings", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-buildings" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-divisions", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-divisions" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-places", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-places" },
     { name = "overture-schema-theme-transportation", editable = "packages/overture-schema-theme-transportation" },
-    { name = "pydantic", specifier = ">=2.12.0" },
-    { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.2" },
-]
-
-[package.metadata.requires-dev]
-dev = [
-    { name = "deepdiff", specifier = ">=8.6.0" },
-    { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.2" },
-    { name = "yamlcore", specifier = ">=0.0.4" },
+    { name = "overture-schema-validation", editable = "packages/overture-schema-validation" },
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1031,6 +1014,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [package.dev-dependencies]
 dev = [
+    { name = "deepdiff" },
     { name = "jsonpath-ng" },
     { name = "types-pyyaml" },
     { name = "types-shapely" },
@@ -1045,6 +1029,7 @@ requires-dist = [
 
 [package.metadata.requires-dev]
 dev = [
+    { name = "deepdiff", specifier = ">=8.6.0" },
     { name = "jsonpath-ng", specifier = ">=1.7.0" },
     { name = "types-pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.12.20250516" },
     { name = "types-shapely", specifier = ">=2.1.0.20250710" },
@@ -1200,6 +1185,35 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pydantic", specifier = ">=2.12.0" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "overture-schema-validation"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = { editable = "packages/overture-schema-validation" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "overture-schema-common" },
+    { name = "overture-schema-system" },
+    { name = "pydantic" },
+]
+
+[package.dev-dependencies]
+dev = [
+    { name = "pyyaml" },
+    { name = "yamlcore" },
+]
+
+[package.metadata]
+requires-dist = [
+    { name = "overture-schema-common", editable = "packages/overture-schema-common" },
+    { name = "overture-schema-system", editable = "packages/overture-schema-system" },
+    { name = "pydantic", specifier = ">=2.12.0" },
+]
+
+[package.metadata.requires-dev]
+dev = [
+    { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6.0.2" },
+    { name = "yamlcore", specifier = ">=0.0.4" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "overture-schema-workspace"
 version = "0.0.0"