Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR00691

Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Thatcham and Crookham Manor sites in Berkshire. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It follows the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines and may include unedited soil sample point data and pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classifying land capability for agriculture based on the detailed ALC grading system mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing historical soil quality trends based on the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Mapping agricultural land quality at varying scales (1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning.
• Studying the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for precision agriculture assessments.

Strengths

• Uses the established grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes scanned original maps and reports, providing primary source material.
• Contains detailed site surveys conducted over a defined period (1989-1999).
• Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Row count, file formats, and column-level documentation are unknown; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias specific to the surveyed sites in Berkshire.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil analysis, resulting in paper maps and reports that were later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; last update is unknown.

Geography

Thatcham and Crookham Manor, Berkshire, England