Westhampnett Agricultural Land Classification Survey: Detailed Soil Maps and Reports

Westhampnett in West Sussex is the site for this detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey. The dataset contains scanned original paper maps and reports from site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, using the grading methodology described in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'. For some surveys, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions are also available.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability based on available unedited sample point data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map land quality for planning and environmental impact assessments using the scanned geospatial maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Study historical land use and soil survey practices from the late 1980s and 1990s.

Strengths

• Uses the established grading methodology from 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more detailed classification.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the detail of the primary survey work.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to surveys from a specific UK region and time period (1989-1999).

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989 to 1999; last update date for the digital record is unknown.

Geography

Westhampnett, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom