ALCR17593: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Scanned original paper maps and survey reports for the Heath End site, part of the Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey program. The data was collected between 1989 and 1999 by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land quality for planning decisions based on detailed Agricultural Land Classification grades.
• Study soil characteristics and variability based on available sample point and soil pit description data.
• Assess changes in agricultural land capability over time by comparing with newer surveys.
• Train geospatial models for land classification using scanned historical map data.

Strengths

• Original survey data from a defined national program (Post-1988 ALC) conducted by a government ministry.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Some surveys include raw soils data and soil pit descriptions, offering ground-truth information.

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 (UK), provided via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil mapping and analysis, with results recorded on paper maps and in reports.

Time Range

Surveyed between 1989 and 1999.

Geography

Heath End site, England and Wales.