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

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data includes scanned original paper maps and reports for sites surveyed between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The data uses the grading methodology from 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales,' subdividing Grade 3 into 3a and 3b, and includes unedited sample point soils data for some surveys. It is provided by the Government Digital Service and contains Natural England and Ordnance Survey copyright.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on detailed soil survey reports and grading methodology.
• Analyze historical land quality changes using site-specific data collected between 1989 and 1999.
• Integrate scanned map data at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000 for regional land-use planning.
• Study soil characteristics using the available unedited sample point data and soil pit descriptions.

Strengths

• Data uses the established grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' publication.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.
• Original survey maps are provided at detailed scales, typically 1:10,000.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data is derived from scanned paper maps and reports, which may introduce digitization artifacts.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; provided via Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with original paper maps and reports, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Specific sites in England and Wales (e.g., Yorkletts, Lamberhurst Waste).