Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Ashby De La Zouch, 1989-1999

England and Wales agricultural land classification data for the Ashby De La Zouch, Money Hill, South area. The dataset contains scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, and for some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify land capability for agriculture based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil quality variations based on the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions mentioned in the description.
• Map agricultural land grades at a regional scale based on the scanned geospatial maps.
• Compare land classification subgrades (3a and 3b) for planning and policy development.

Strengths

• Uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Contains original survey materials, including scanned maps and reports from a defined period (1989-1999).

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys, resulting in original paper maps and reports that were subsequently scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; recency of digitization is unknown.

Geography

Ashby De La Zouch, Money Hill, South (North West Leicester) area in England.