ALCC02389: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Ailsworth and Castor sites, collected between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with soil grades subdivided into 3a and 3b, and some surveys containing unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. It is provided by the Government Digital Service and contains copyright material from Natural England and Ordnance Survey.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze historical soil quality and land use patterns based on the mapped subgrades and soil pit descriptions.
• Integrate geospatial land classification data with modern GIS systems based on the scanned map data at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Strengths

• Data uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail for analysis.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Government Digital Service (platform).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with scanned original paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection period is 1989-1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Ailsworth and Castor sites in England and Wales.