Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCC01595b

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification survey data for the Cranfield, Home Farm site in Mid Bedfordshire. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines and may contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and quality for specific sites using the available soil pit descriptions and sample point data.
• Map historical land use potential at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000 based on the scanned original paper maps.
• Compare land quality subgrades within Grade 3 agricultural land, as the data includes the subdivision into 3a and 3b.

Strengths

• Data is based on the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' grading methodology.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Maps are available at varying scales, typically 1:10,000, providing localized detail.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with original paper maps and reports, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; update frequency is unknown.

Geography

Cranfield, Home Farm site in Mid Bedfordshire, England.