ALCC01597: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Wansford Quarry

Natural England provides the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) detailed survey for the Wansford quarry extension. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It contains land grading data, unedited soil sample points, and soil pit descriptions for some surveys, using the methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land capability based on detailed soil survey data and grading methodology.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of soil quality and land grades for regional planning.
• Training models for land-use prediction based on historical soil pit descriptions and sample points.
• Assessing the impact of quarry extensions on surrounding agricultural land quality.

Strengths

• Original survey maps and reports from a government ministry, providing authoritative source data.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer detail.
• Contains unedited soil sample point data and soil pit descriptions for some surveys.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Maps are scanned from original paper sources at varying scales (1:5,000 to 1:50,000), which may affect digital analysis.

Provenance

Source

Natural England / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF)

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys, soil sampling, and mapping by government surveyors.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Wansford, England (specific quarry extension site)