ALCR22194: Detailed Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Didcot

Between 1989 and 1999, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) surveys for individual sites like Didcot, Park Road. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with some surveys also containing unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. It is provided by the Government Digital Service and sourced from Natural England and Ordnance Survey.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability based on the available unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land quality for planning and development assessments using the scanned geospatial maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Study historical land use changes by comparing post-1988 survey data with other temporal datasets.

Strengths

• Uses the current ALC grading methodology, including subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Includes original scanned maps and reports, providing primary source material.
• Some surveys contain detailed unedited 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

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (data).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil sampling, mapping, and report generation.

Time Range

1989-1999

Freshness

Survey data collected between 1989 and 1999; last platform update date is unknown.

Geography

Didcot, Park Road (and other individual sites in England and Wales).