Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Gateshead, Ravensworth Estate (1989-1999)

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Gateshead, Ravensworth Estate site includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports. The data was collected in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using a grading methodology that subdivides Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land use suitability for planning and development based on the scanned original paper maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Conduct historical land quality analysis for a specific geographic estate using data collected over a defined decade.

Strengths

• Data collection follows a defined national grading methodology for Agricultural Land Classification.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Original survey materials (scanned maps and reports) are preserved, likely containing rich contextual information.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale ML tasks.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified as the survey period ended in 1999.

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 captured in paper maps and reports that were later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data collection ended in 1999; the dataset is historical.

Geography

Gateshead, Ravensworth Estate, England