ALCR99991: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for England and Wales

Natural England provides the Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCR99991. The dataset comprises scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites surveyed in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It includes soil data, such as unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions for some surveys, and maps land grades from 1 to 3, with Grade 3 subdivided into subgrades 3a and 3b.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the official grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil characteristics and variability using the available unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land quality for planning and development assessments based on the detailed site surveys.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.

Strengths

• Original survey data collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999.
• Includes detailed subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b.
• Maps are available at varying scales, typically 1:10,000, ranging from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to the specific sites surveyed in England and Wales.

Provenance

Source

Natural England, incorporating data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Ordnance Survey.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil analysis and mapping, following the methodology in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 12:53:05.777716; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Individual sites in England and Wales, specifically including the Iden Green, Chapel Lane survey.