Agricultural Land Classification: Detailed Site Surveys from 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for sites like Hawthorn Hill, Cruchfield Manor Farm. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports from detailed surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It provides land grading, including the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, and may contain unedited soil sample data.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map land quality at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning or historical land use studies.
• Validate or supplement modern land classification models with historical, ground-truthed survey data.

Strengths

• Surveys use a defined and referenced grading methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into more detailed subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving primary survey detail.

Limitations

• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Natural England.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving mapping and soil analysis.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

null

Geography

England and Wales (specific sites like Hawthorn Hill, Cruchfield Manor Farm)