Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports for England and Wales

England and Wales agricultural land classification data from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites, with mapping scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000. It was produced by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and is provided by Natural England.

Use Cases

• Assess agricultural land quality for planning based on the detailed grading methodology.
• Analyze soil characteristics for specific sites based on available soil pit descriptions.
• Map land use potential at varying scales based on the scanned survey maps.
• Compare subgrades within Grade 3 agricultural land based on the subdivision into 3a and 3b.

Strengths

• Survey data uses the current grading methodology as described in the official classification guidelines.
• Individual sites were mapped at varying scales, typically 1:10,000, providing detailed spatial information.
• Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999, with scanned original paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989-1999

Geography

England and Wales (specific sites like Beaconsfield, Springfield Farm)