Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCL09491

Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCL09491 contains scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites in England and Wales. The data was gathered between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. It includes soil data and pit descriptions for some surveys and is provided by the Government Digital Service.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil quality and composition trends based on the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land use and soil grades at varying scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000 for regional planning.
• Validate or supplement modern land classification models with historical, ground-truthed survey data.

Strengths

• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer granularity.
• Original survey maps and reports are available, offering primary source material.
• Covers a defined time period of detailed surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999.

Limitations

• Row count, column definitions, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data is derived from scanned paper maps, which may introduce digitization artifacts or require georeferencing.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (UK), provided via Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil sampling, mapped on paper at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; update status for the digital release is unknown.

Geography

England and Wales, with a specific survey for Felling, Gateshead, Leem Lane.