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Settlements 1Settlements 1

Geoff says: What is a

settlement?

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Basically it is where people Basically it is where people livelive

A single house can be a settlementBut so is a hamlet (what’s this?)A villageA townA cityA conurbation (that’s a ?)

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They began a long time agoThey began a long time ago

Once people started to domesticate animals and plant crops, then people stayed in the same place. These were settlements.As people got better and growing food, they has some left over, They had a surplus. So they began to trade with other settlementsThen they needed transport networks.Some settlements proved to be better places to live and so they grew.

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What would the places What would the places that grew need?that grew need?

If I lived a long time ago and

wanted to build a settlement, what would I need? Where would I choose to go?

What do you

think?

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Here are some thing to think about Here are some thing to think about when when locating a settlement: when when locating a settlement:

How many did you think of?How many did you think of? 1.Protection - good views from a hilltop give you warning if you are about to be attacked. Or maybe a bend in a river so you only have to guard one side of it.E.g. Edinburgh castle is on the top of a rock, with little chance of attackers

2. Water Supply - Plenty of water is needed for drinking, cooking and washing. Water might come from a river, spring or well.

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Here are some thing to think about Here are some thing to think about when when locating a settlement: when when locating a settlement:

How many did you think of?How many did you think of?3. A Risk of Flooding - Sites must not flood or be marshy. E.g. Ely – this is a small town on a hill above what used to be the Fens – a very wet place

4. Proximity to a River - Needs to be easy to cross either on foot at a ford or by a bridge. Rivers can also aid transport, provide power and a source of food.

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Here are some thing to think about Here are some thing to think about when when locating a settlement: when when locating a settlement:

How many did you think of?How many did you think of?5.Building Materials - Needed wood or stone. Useful to be near a wood or a rocky hillside. 6. Supply of Fuel - Wood needed for fires for warmth and to cook on. 7. Shelter - In the northern hemisphere a south facing slope will have more sun and will be protected from the cold north wind and crops will grow better. 8. Flat Land - Easier to build on, for growing crops and travelling to other towns. 9. Good, fertile soil – being able to produce your own food was very important.

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This is a Diamond This is a Diamond 99 A BMW to drive in

A clean environment

A job or school to go to

A swimming pool in the garden

clothes to keep warm

food to eat

housing to shelter you

water to drink

You f eel safe in the street

Try this on the work sheet – put

the most important one at the top

And the silliest one at the bottom

This is all about your

needs

Then fits the other ones in between

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These are the ones you need to sortProtectionWater supplyA risk of floodingBuilding materialsShelterSupply of fuelFlat landGood soilProximity to route way

Now try this one about siting a settlement – talk to Mum about why you are choosing which one to goes

where

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What you have been thinking What you have been thinking about is ..about is ..

Part of the idea of locationThe location is where a place isLocation is made up of 2 ideasThe site – where it is and why. This determines where it was placed in the first placeSee over for an example of a description of a siteThe situation – which is where we are going after that

11River Wye

Narrow part of river

Castle mound

Why did Rhayader become Why did Rhayader become a settlement? What made a settlement? What made

its site special?its site special?

This is an annotated picture – a picture with

labels explaining about things

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SituationSituation Situation – where a place is in relation to other places and to the physical surroundingsThis determines whether it will grow or not.So ask:Physical situation: what is the land like? What about rivers? Flooding?Human Influences: How is it joined to other places? Is it close to the centre of a country or is it isolated

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What is Rhayader’s What is Rhayader’s physical situation? physical situation?

Will it get any bigger?Will it get any bigger?

Limits of the town

High ground

Ground that often floods

River WyeBridge

This is an annotated map –

Why?

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ExampleExample Rhayader is about 30 miles East of Aberystwyth, 30 west of Leominster and 20 miles north of Llandridod Wells. It is the river valley of the Upper Wye, quite close to where the Wye begins so the valley is narrows and the Cambrian Mountains rise to the west and other lower hills are to the EastSo it will never get much bigger – even though it is on the cross-roads of 2 main roads, there simply is not enough space!

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Settlement patternsSettlement patternsAs well as coming in a variety of sizes, settlements also come in a variety of shapes or patternsSettlements usually develop in a particular pattern (but not always). A nucleated settlement is where the buildings are clustered around a central point, e.g. a bridge or market square or a crossroads.

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Settlement patternsSettlement patterns

A linear settlement is where the buildings are arranged in a line - usually along a river or road, or in Wales along the valley floor

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Settlement patternsSettlement patternsA dispersed settlement is where the buildings are spread out or scattered. Dispersed settlements are often found in remote, sparsely-populated areas such as hill farming areas

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Settlement patternsSettlement patternsOver the past 100 years many new settlements have been planned and developed by the UK government - for example, the town of Harlow in Essex. New towns like this follow distinctive patterns, with their shape often influenced by decisions made by planners

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Harlow EssexHarlow Essex

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Talking onlyTalking onlyWhat are the things you What are the things you

have learnt today?have learnt today?

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So reviewSo reviewLocation is ………… tells you where it is in relation to other places…… tells you why it is there in the first placeSettlements have a particular shape or ….A Settlement that that is clustered around a crossroads is a … settlementWhen individual houses are scattered over an area upland for example then these settlements are …If a settlement runs along a river valley, it is a … settlement

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So homeworkSo homeworkEither using an annotated map or drawing or simple sentences, describe the location of a

place you know well or if you are really stuck, imagine where a place might be and describe

the site (why it was there in the first place) and the situation (where it is in the bigger picture)

and so decide or explain why it has/has not grown

Geoff says: I think I will look on Google maps for places near me – that has

maps and satellite pictures