Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR06988

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data includes scanned original paper maps and reports for detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999. The data, produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, maps land grades, including the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, and may contain unedited soil point data and pit descriptions for some sites.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability based on available unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map historical land quality for specific farms (Swanley, Stonehill & Stonehill Green) using the scanned original paper maps.
• Compare land classification detail across scales, as surveys were mapped from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Strengths

• Uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• 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.

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 bias inherent to the 1989-1999 survey period.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil analysis, resulting in paper maps and reports later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

null

Geography

Swanley, Stonehill & Stonehill Green Farms, England