Agricultural Land Classification: Nottingham Site Survey Maps and Reports, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for a specific site near Nottingham, England. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports created by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999. It uses the grading methodology from the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the official ALC grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze historical soil quality and land suitability for specific sites based on the mapped land grades and subgrades.
• Integrate scanned map data with modern GIS systems for longitudinal land use studies based on the geospatial nature of the data.
• Examine soil pit descriptions and sample point data for detailed pedological analysis where such ancillary data is available.

Strengths

• Data follows the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology, ensuring a standardized grading system.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail for moderate quality land.
• Contains original survey materials such as scanned maps and reports, preserving primary source information.

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 for large-scale ML projects.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), aggregated by Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil mapping and analysis, with results recorded on paper maps and in reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data collected between 1989 and 1999; last update date for the digital record is unknown.

Geography

Specific site near Nottingham, England (M1, Junction 26, Site 2).