Agricultural Land Classification: Detailed Site Surveys and Soil Data, 1989-1999

1989 to 1999 site survey data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for agricultural land classification in England and Wales. It includes scanned original paper maps, survey reports, and for some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. The data 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 variability based on the available unedited sample point soils data.
• Map land use suitability for planning purposes based on the geospatial survey maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Study historical land quality trends in specific regions based on surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999.

Strengths

• Surveys use the current grading methodology, subdividing Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Includes original scanned maps and reports, providing primary source material.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Maps are at varying scales and levels of detail, which may affect consistency.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; provided by Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with scanned original documents.

Time Range

1989-1999

Freshness

Data covers surveys from 1989 to 1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

England and Wales, specifically the Elstob (Durham Minerals Local Plan) site.