ALCL11098: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data from detailed surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports for individual sites, with mapping scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000. It is provided by Natural England and contains Ordnance Survey data.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and land quality for specific sites based on the available unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Integrate historical land classification data with modern GIS layers for land-use planning and policy analysis.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular land assessment.

Strengths

• Data is based on detailed site surveys conducted by a government ministry (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food).
• Surveys use a defined and referenced grading methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').
• Includes original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey documentation.
• Some surveys include supplementary unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Natural England / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Collection Method

Detailed field surveys with original paper maps and reports subsequently scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

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

Geography

England and Wales (specific site: Pelton, Newfield Fm, Chester le Street)