ALCL02894: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Cornforth, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Cornforth, SE (Durham M.L.P.) site, collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with soil grading following the methodology in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land capability for agricultural planning based on detailed soil grade classifications.
• Map soil quality variations for environmental impact studies based on the geospatial survey data.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for land valuation models.
• Correlate soil pit descriptions with broader land classification for soil science research.

Strengths

• Original survey data collected by a government ministry (MAFF) between 1989 and 1999.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is sourced from scanned paper maps with varying scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, which may affect consistency.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by MAFF, with results recorded on paper maps and reports that were later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Geography

Cornforth, South East Durham, England, United Kingdom