Agricultural Land Classification Survey: St Albans, 1989-1999

1989 to 1999 survey data for agricultural land classification in St Albans, UK, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. It includes scanned original paper maps and reports, soil pit descriptions, and unedited sample point data. The dataset is published by the Government Digital Service and contains Natural England and Ordnance Survey copyright.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land quality based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Map soil characteristics and land grades at varying scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Analyze the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for detailed planning.
• Study historical soil data from unedited sample points and soil pit descriptions.

Strengths

• Survey data uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes scanned original paper maps and reports, providing primary source material.
• Maps the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer detail.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food.

Time Range

1989-1999

Geography

St Albans, UK