Skip to main content
Service phase: Beta

This is a new way to search our records, which we're still working on. Alternatively you can search our existing catalogue, Discovery.

Series

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and...

Catalogue reference: MAF 285

What's it about?

MAF 285

This series is concerned with the disposal of requisitioned land under Part V of the Agriculture Act 1947, and includes material relating to methods of disposal of the individual pieces of land and buildings and the Land Settlement Association,...

Full description and record details

Reference

MAF 285

Title
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Land Use Divisions: Registered Files, Sale of Requisitioned Agricultural Land (SAL Series)
Date

1947-1985

Description

This series is concerned with the disposal of requisitioned land under Part V of the Agriculture Act 1947, and includes material relating to methods of disposal of the individual pieces of land and buildings and the Land Settlement Association, which managed small holdings on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference

SAL file series

Legal status

Public Record(s)

Language

English

Physical description

91 files and flat sheets

Access conditions

Open unless otherwise stated

Immediate source of acquisition

from 2007 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

from 1981 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Physical condition

Many files contain plans.

Accumulation dates

1954 onwards

Accruals

Series is accruing

Administrative / biographical background

During the Second World War land was requisitioned in order that it might be used to its full capacity to increase food production. After the termination of hostilities it was decided that some of this land should be retained for agricultural purposes, and under Part V of the Agriculture Act 1947 the Minister of Agriculture acquired powers to compel purchase of any requisitioned land which was not sold voluntarily to him, in order to maintain its full and efficient use for agriculture. It was then managed by the Agricultural Land Commission, set up under the Act, until it was decided that it was appropriate to dispose of the ministry's interest in it. During the 1950s, and in particular after the Crichel Down enquiry of 1954, it was government policy that land held by the ministry should be sold, and that forestry land should be transferred to the Forestry Commission.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C10685/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

184,561 records

Within the department: MAF

Records created or inherited by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Departments,...

You are currently looking at the series: MAF 285

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Land Use Divisions: Registered Files, Sale of Requisitioned Agricultural Land (SAL Series)