Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR08298

Scanned original paper maps and survey reports from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food detail the agricultural land quality for the Bembridge, Mill Road site on the Isle of Wight. The data, collected between 1989 and 1999, uses the official grading methodology and includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b. Unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available for some of these detailed surveys.

Use Cases

• Assess land suitability for agricultural development based on detailed soil survey reports.
• Map and analyze soil grade distributions, including subgrades 3a and 3b, for regional planning.
• Validate or supplement modern land classification models with historical, high-detail survey data.
• Conduct historical analysis of land use change by comparing detailed site surveys over time.

Strengths

• Data collection follows the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology.
• Includes high-detail mapping at scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, typically 1:10,000.
• Provides unedited sample point soils data and soil 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 is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by MAFF, with results captured in scanned original paper maps and reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collected between 1989 and 1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Bembridge, Mill Road site on the Isle of Wight, England.