Agricultural Land Classification: Detailed Site Surveys for England and Wales, 1989-1999

England and Wales agricultural land classification data from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with mapping scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000. For some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil quality and characteristics based on the available unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land use suitability for planning and environmental assessments using the geospatial survey maps.
• Study historical land classification trends in England and Wales based on surveys from the 1989-1999 period.

Strengths

• Surveys use a defined and referenced grading methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey data.

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.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; data provided by Natural England and contains Ordnance Survey data.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil analysis and mapping.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Surveys were conducted between 1989 and 1999; data is historical.

Geography

England and Wales, specifically the Kennett survey area.