ALCL00298: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data collected between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites, with some surveys providing unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. Maps are attributed to Natural England and contain Ordnance Survey data.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical agricultural land quality based on detailed site survey reports.
• Map land classification grades, including Grade 3 subdivisions, for regional planning.
• Correlate soil pit descriptions and sample point data with land use suitability.

Strengths

• Survey data uses the current grading methodology described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Individual sites were mapped at varying scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, typically 1:10,000.
• 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.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys.

Time Range

1989-1999

Geography

England and Wales (specific site: Wylam, Crawcrook Quarry)