Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Bigby and Kettleby Farms, 1989-1999

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

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyzing soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Mapping land quality at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional agricultural planning.
• Studying historical land classification patterns and the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.

Strengths

• Data is based on detailed site surveys conducted by a government ministry (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food).
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey record.
• Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys producing paper maps and reports, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data covers 1989 to 1999; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

Bigby, Kettleby Thorpe Farm, Kettleby (specific sites in England).