Agricultural Land Classification: Detailed Site Surveys for Leeds, 1989-1999

Leeds, England, is the focus of this detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data. It contains scanned original paper maps and reports for sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology from the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. The data includes Grade 3 subdivisions and, for some surveys, unedited soil sample point data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the official ALC grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and limitations for specific sites using the available unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land quality variations at a local scale using the scanned survey maps, which range from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000 in detail.

Strengths

• Data is based on detailed site surveys conducted by a government ministry (MAFF) over a defined 10-year period (1989-1999).
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer granularity for analysis.
• Original survey maps and reports are provided, offering context and methodological transparency.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and file formats are unknown, which limits suitability assessment for computational tasks.
• Data is derived from scanned paper maps and reports, which may require digitization or preprocessing for modern GIS analysis.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed field surveys following the official ALC methodology, with results recorded on paper maps and in reports later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

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

Geography

Leeds, England, United Kingdom (specifically the Pool Bypass area within the Leeds Unitary Development Plan).