Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Seaton Delaval, 1989-1999

Original paper maps and reports from detailed agricultural land surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. The data includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, following the methodology of the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land quality for planning purposes based on the scanned original maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Compare land grades over time for a specific site, as the data represents a snapshot from the 1989-1999 period.

Strengths

• Data is based on detailed site surveys conducted by a government ministry (Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food).
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer granularity.
• Some surveys contain raw, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

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 agricultural land classification site surveys, resulting in scanned paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection period is 1989-1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Seaton Delaval, Blyth Valley Borough, England