ALCR07898: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Bicester

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data for Bicester, Little Wretchwick Farm. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports for sites surveyed in detail 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 may include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical agricultural land quality based on the detailed grading system mentioned in the description.
• Map land capability for planning purposes based on the scanned original maps and survey reports.
• Study soil characteristics and variability based on the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Compare land classification grades over time for a specific site based on the post-1988 survey methodology.

Strengths

• Data is based on a formal grading methodology described in the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' report.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving primary survey detail.

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 (survey), Natural England (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with mapping at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is historical, collected between 1989 and 1999.

Geography

Bicester, Little Wretchwick Farm (Cherwell DLP), England.