ALCC03189c: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Poringland, Upper Stoke (Area 3) site includes scanned original paper maps and reports. Surveys were conducted in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology from the "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" guidelines. Unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available for some of these surveys.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land quality for planning and environmental impact studies based on the scanned original maps.
• Compare land grading over time by leveraging the specific 1989-1999 survey period.

Strengths

• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Original survey maps were created at scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, typically 1:10,000.
• Data collection follows the established "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" methodology.

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 (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (copyright).

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

Poringland, Upper Stoke (Area 3), England and Wales