ALCR10794: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Surveys 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data includes scanned original paper maps and reports for individual sites. Surveys were conducted in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology from the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. The data likely contains soil point data and pit descriptions for some sites, with maps at scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical land quality for planning decisions based on the detailed Agricultural Land Classification grades.
• Mapping soil capability and subgrade variations based on the subdivision of Grade 3 into 3a and 3b.
• Studying soil characteristics and profiles based on the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Assessing regional agricultural potential using geospatial survey maps created at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Strengths

• Surveys use the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' grading methodology.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.
• Original scanned maps and reports provide primary source material for detailed sites.

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 soil analysis, mapping, and report generation.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; last update is unknown.

Geography

England and Wales, specifically the Lower Pennington, Manor Farm site.