ALCR04499: Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Aylesbury, 1989-1999

Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Aylesbury, South West area in Buckinghamshire, produced by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The data includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999, with soil data and pit descriptions available for some surveys. It is published by the Government Digital Service and contains Natural England and Ordnance Survey copyright.

Use Cases

• Classify land capability for agriculture based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze historical soil characteristics and land quality based on unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map agricultural land grades, including the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, for regional planning.
• Integrate historical land classification data with modern GIS layers for longitudinal land-use change studies.

Strengths

• Uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer analysis.
• Original survey maps were created at detailed scales, ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, typically 1:10,000.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect temporal and methodological bias inherent to surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (UK), published via Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil analysis and mapping, with results captured in scanned paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Geography

Aylesbury, South West (Buckinghamshire), England, United Kingdom