ALCR12493: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Post 1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites surveyed in detail between 1989 and 1999, with mapping scales ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000. Some surveys also contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and subgrade divisions (e.g., 3a and 3b) based on the available soil pit descriptions and point data.
• Map historical land quality for regional planning studies based on the georeferenced survey maps.
• Validate or train land classification models using the site-specific survey data and grading system.

Strengths

• Data collection follows a defined national methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer detail.
• Contains original survey materials (scanned maps and reports) from a defined time period (1989-1999).

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys conducted by MAFF, with results recorded on paper maps and in reports.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

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

Geography

Individual survey sites in England and Wales, starting with the 'Andover, Land North of Penton Corner' site.