Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Barcombe Cross, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Barcombe Cross site, collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999. It includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with soil grading following the methodology described in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'. The dataset is provided by the Government Digital Service and contains Ordnance Survey data under Crown copyright.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land quality based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and land suitability for farming based on unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map land capability at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning and environmental assessments.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular agricultural potential analysis.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a defined 10-year period from 1989 to 1999.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey record.
• 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.
• 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), Government Digital Service (platform).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999, with results recorded on paper maps and in reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

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

Geography

Barcombe Cross (Lewes DLP Site 18), England.