ALCW07988: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports (1989-1999)

Agricultural Land Classification detailed Post 1988 survey ALCW07988 contains scanned original paper maps and survey reports for individual sites in England and Wales. The data was gathered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1989 and 1999, using the grading methodology from "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales." Some surveys also include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze historical land quality changes based on site-specific survey data collected between 1989 and 1999.
• Integrate soil pit descriptions and sample point data for localized soil science studies.
• Map land use suitability at varying scales (from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000) for regional planning.

Strengths

• Data uses the established grading methodology from the official "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" publication.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer granularity.
• Original scanned maps and reports provide primary source material for the surveyed sites.

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 (UK), provided via Natural England and the Government Digital Service.

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with original paper maps and reports, later scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Data collection period is 1989-1999; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Specific sites in England and Wales, including 'Barton Under Needwood, NEWBOLD (EXTENSION)'.