ALCR14893: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Basingstoke

Natural England provides the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) detailed survey for the Basingstoke, Popley Fields East site. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It contains soil data and uses the grading methodology from the "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" guidelines.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil quality and characteristics for specific sites using the unedited sample point soils data and pit descriptions.
• Map land use suitability for planning and development based on the scanned original maps and subdivision of Grade 3 land.
• Study historical land classification trends for England and Wales based on surveys from the 1989-1999 period.

Strengths

• Based on the official "Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales" methodology.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer detail.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving historical survey detail.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil sampling, mapped at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

Basingstoke, Popley Fields East, England and Wales