Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Sutton in Ashfield Detailed Soil Maps and Reports

Natural England provides the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) detailed survey data for the Sutton in Ashfield, A38 Alfreton Road site. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports from surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. It features soil grade mapping, including subgrades 3a and 3b, with scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, and may contain unedited soil point data and pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on detailed soil survey methodology described in the linked grading guidelines.
• Analyze spatial patterns of soil quality subgrades (e.g., 3a vs 3b) using the provided scanned maps.
• Integrate historical soil pit descriptions and point data for site-specific land use studies.
• Assess land suitability for planning or development based on the Ministry's official land classification system.

Strengths

• Data follows the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology, providing a standardized grading system.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, offering finer detail for analysis.
• Original survey materials (maps and reports) are preserved, likely containing detailed field observations.

Limitations

• Row count, column definitions, and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is historical, collected between 1989 and 1999; current land conditions may differ.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Natural England / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF)

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil mapping and analysis, conducted by government surveyors.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Geography

Sutton in Ashfield, A38 Alfreton Road site (England)