West Malling Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Detailed Site Maps and Reports

England and Wales survey data for the West Malling, Eden Farm site in the Medway Gap. The dataset contains scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' report and includes soil data and pit descriptions for some surveys.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze historical soil characteristics and quality based on the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land use suitability for planning and environmental assessments using the scanned geospatial maps.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.

Strengths

• Original survey data from a government ministry (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) collected between 1989 and 1999.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Contains supplementary soil data and pit descriptions for some surveys.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with original paper maps and reports, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

West Malling, Eden Farm (Medway Gap), England and Wales