ALCL09990: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports, 1989-1999

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Stannington site in Northumberland, collected between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports, with soil grading following the methodology described in the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Some surveys also contain 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 soil quality variations using the available unedited sample point data and soil pit descriptions.
• Map historical land use potential for specific sites based on the scanned survey maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Study the subdivision of Grade 3 agricultural land into subgrades 3a and 3b for more granular analysis.

Strengths

• Data is based on detailed site surveys conducted by a government ministry (Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food).
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey record.
• Some surveys include supplementary unedited sample point 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 (copyright holder).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil grading, mapping, and report writing.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

null

Geography

Stannington, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom.