Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCC02693

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for sites like Mistley and Manningtree, collected between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with some surveys providing unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. It is published by the Government Digital Service and contains Natural England and Ordnance Survey copyright data.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land quality based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability based on the available unedited sample point data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land capability at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning studies.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular land assessment.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a defined 10-year period from 1989 to 1999.
• Surveys use a standardized grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes high-detail mapping at scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, typically at 1:10,000.

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 and geographic bias inherent to the specific sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by government agencies, with data from scanned original paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown; data covers 1989-1999.

Geography

Specific sites in England and Wales, including Mistley and Manningtree.