Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Abingdon Site with Soil Data

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Abingdon, Drayton Road site in the Vale of White Horse. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available for some surveys.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land quality based on the official grading methodology described in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land capability at a site level, leveraging the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Integrate scanned historical survey maps and reports into geographic information systems for comparative land-use studies.

Strengths

• Uses the current grading methodology as defined in the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more detailed analysis.
• Contains unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions for some surveys, providing raw observational data.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data collected between 1989 and 1999; metadata freshness unknown.

Geography

Abingdon, Drayton Road, Vale of White Horse, England