ALCR12395: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for England and Wales

Original paper maps and survey reports for detailed agricultural land classification surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. The data includes scanned maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, using the grading methodology from the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land quality trends based on detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) grades and subgrades.
• Train land use prediction models based on scanned geospatial maps and associated soil survey reports.
• Correlate soil pit descriptions and sample point data with land classification grades for specific sites.
• Assess regional agricultural potential using the official grading methodology described in the linked guidelines.

Strengths

• Surveys use the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology, providing a standardized grading system.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, offering finer detail for moderate quality land.
• Data spans a defined 10-year period from 1989 to 1999, providing a consistent historical snapshot.
• Some surveys contain supplementary unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale ML tasks.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving original paper maps, reports, and soil sampling.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection period is 1989-1999; last update status is unknown.

Geography

Individual survey sites in England and Wales (e.g., 'Ash, Land West Of South Lane').