Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR21194

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification survey data for the Waterstock site, collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000, survey reports, and for some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. It is provided by Natural England and contains Ordnance Survey data.

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land capability based on the official grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyzing soil characteristics and variability using the available unedited sample point data and pit descriptions.
• Mapping land quality for planning and environmental impact assessments using the scanned geospatial maps.
• Studying historical land classification practices and data collection methods from the late 20th century.

Strengths

• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Original survey materials such as scanned maps and reports are preserved, offering primary source data.
• Surveys were conducted using a consistent, documented methodology ('Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales').

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Natural England; Ordnance Survey.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil mapping and analysis.

Time Range

1989-1999

Freshness

Data collection occurred between 1989 and 1999; recency of digital publication is unknown.

Geography

Waterstock (M40 Services 7), England and Wales.