Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR11693

Original paper maps and survey reports from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food detail agricultural land quality for sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999. The data includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, following the grading methodology of the "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" guidelines. Scanned maps range in scale from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, and some surveys include unedited soil sample point data and pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Modeling historical agricultural land suitability based on detailed soil grade classifications.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of land quality from scanned survey maps at various scales.
• Validating or supplementing modern land-use datasets with historical ground survey data.
• Researching changes in agricultural land classification policy and its application from 1989-1999.

Strengths

• Data follows the established "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" grading methodology.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.
• Some surveys provide unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data freshness is unverified; the survey period ended in 1999.
• 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 conducted by government agencies, with results recorded on original paper maps and in reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

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

Geography

Individual sites in England and Wales, specifically the Tenterden survey area.