Staplehurst Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Agricultural Land Classification survey data for the Staplehurst, Fishers Farm site in Maidstone. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. It uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication and includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical agricultural land quality based on the detailed ALC grading system.
• Map soil classification and land capability for specific sites using the scanned survey maps.
• Compare soil subgrades (3a and 3b) within Grade 3 agricultural land.
• Integrate unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions for soil analysis.

Strengths

• Survey data uses the current grading methodology as described in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Original paper maps and reports are scanned, preserving historical survey detail.
• Some surveys include 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.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys.

Time Range

1989-1999

Geography

Staplehurst, Fishers Farm (Maidstone LP), England