As part of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Land Cover 2007 Pilot Project, a reconnaissance survey was undertaken on 12th May 2006 in a 60 x 60 km area (bounded by Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference X = 400000 to 460000, Y = 095000 to 155000) which included the Network for Calibration and Validation in Earth Observation (NCAVEO) test site. A recording tablet device was used for acquiring ground data for sample points in the defined area.

The dataset consists of an ESRI shape file of point data, containing all the points recorded on a tablet device. Each point has a British National Grid X and Y co-ordinate and a class code. The dataset has not been checked or edited yet and a few of the records will be erroneous. The most obvious errors will be two or more points with identical locations but different codes, the final code will be the correct one. Some of the points for Salisbury Plain lie just outside the test area boundaries. A key to abbreviations used for field recording is also included and a list of thematic land cover classes and their codes to aid field reconnaissance, as used for Land Cover Map 2000.