ALCL10498: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Chester Moor, 1989-1999

England and Wales agricultural land classification data from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports for the Chester Moor site, with land graded from 1 to 5 and Grade 3 subdivided into 3a and 3b. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land capability based on the official grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyzing historical soil quality and land use potential for specific sites based on soil pit descriptions and sample point data.
• Mapping land grade boundaries and subgrades (e.g., 3a vs 3b) using the scanned geospatial maps.
• Studying changes in land classification methodology and detail from surveys mapped at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Strengths

• Uses the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' grading methodology.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving primary survey detail.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed field surveys with soil analysis, mapped onto paper plans.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

null

Geography

Chester Moor, Chester le Street, England and Wales