Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCC01890

England and Wales agricultural land survey data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It contains detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999, including scanned original paper maps, reports, and some unedited soil data. The data uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land quality trends based on detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) grades.
• Map soil capability for agriculture using the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Correlate soil pit descriptions and sample point data with land classification for specific survey sites.

Strengths

• Data follows the established 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the 1989-1999 survey period.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with original paper maps and reports, scanned for digital access.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown.

Geography

Specific survey sites in England and Wales, including the 'Potters Crouch, South of Hemel Hempstead Road' site.