Agricultural Land Classification Survey: York Area Post-1988 Detailed Maps

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification survey data for the York area, including Bishopthorpe and Middlethorpe. The dataset comprises scanned original paper maps and survey reports for sites surveyed in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It includes detailed land grading with Grade 3 subdivisions and, for some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical agricultural land quality based on detailed grading methodology and subgrade divisions.
• Map land use capability for planning purposes based on scanned survey maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Study soil characteristics for specific sites based on available unedited sample point and soil pit description data.

Strengths

• Uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more detailed analysis.
• Contains original survey materials, including scanned maps and reports, for sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with mapping and soil analysis, conducted between 1989 and 1999.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data covers 1989-1999; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

York area, specifically Bishopthorpe, Middlethorpe, and east of the A1036 (York City Local Plan area).