Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Royston Site with Soil Data, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification survey data for the Royston, Lee Lane site, collected between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps, survey reports, and for some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. It is provided by the Government Digital Service and uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land quality based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability based on the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map historical land capability at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning studies.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular land assessment.

Strengths

• Includes original scanned maps and reports, preserving the detail of the historical survey.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions, providing raw observational data.
• Uses a defined and referenced grading methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality, file formats, and structure require manual inspection after download.
• Row count and sample data are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific analytical tasks.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Government Digital Service (platform).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil sampling, mapping, and report generation.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; last update status is unknown.

Geography

Royston, Lee Lane site (England, United Kingdom).