Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Boston Area Detailed Soil Maps 1989-1999

Natural England provides detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for sites around Boston, surveyed between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports, with soil grading following the methodology in the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Mapping scales vary from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, and some surveys include unedited soil sample point data and pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land quality based on detailed soil survey reports and maps.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of soil subgrades (e.g., 3a vs 3b) for land use planning.
• Integrating historical soil pit descriptions and sample point data into land capability models.

Strengths

• Uses the established grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer detail.
• Contains original survey materials like scanned maps and reports for specific sites.

Limitations

• Row count, column definitions, and file formats are unknown; data structure must be inspected after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Mapping scales and level of detail vary from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, which may affect consistency.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England (copyright holder).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999, producing paper maps and reports later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

null

Geography

Boston, Boston West Golf Centre Extension, Hubberts Bridge area (England).