ALCL00999: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification survey data includes scanned original paper maps and reports for sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. Surveys map land grades, including the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, using methodology from the official classification guidelines. Unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available for some surveys.

Use Cases

• Assess agricultural land quality for planning based on detailed land grade classifications.
• Analyze soil characteristics for specific sites based on available soil pit descriptions.
• Map land use suitability at varying scales (1:5,000 to 1:50,000) using the scanned survey maps.
• Study historical changes in land classification between 1989 and 1999 for surveyed sites.

Strengths

• Survey data uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Original scanned maps and reports provide a direct historical record.

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 to 1999

Geography

Individual sites in England and Wales, specifically Manton and Messingham Quarry.