Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Detailed Site Maps and Reports 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for individual sites in England and Wales, collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999. 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 using the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land quality at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning and environmental assessments.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for precision agriculture applications.

Strengths

• Data covers a defined 10-year period from 1989 to 1999.
• Includes original scanned maps and reports, preserving methodological detail.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Maps use the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), provided by Natural England.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by MAFF, with results compiled into paper maps and reports that were later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection period ended in 1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Individual survey sites in England and Wales (e.g., Dial Post, Thistleworth Farm in Horsham).