1Y7 Geography

Unit 3: People worldUnit 3: People world

All about settlements

A: Why are they there?

2

This half termThis half term

• We will looking at settlements – what are they?

• Why are they where they are?

• What do they do?

• How can they be organised? Where are different types of building found?

• Shopping and settlements – where did they shop in the past? How do you buy goods now?

3

Geoff asks:

What is a settlement?

4

Basically it is where people liveBasically it is where people live

• A single house can be a settlement

• But so is a hamlet (what’s this?)

• A village

• A town

• A city

• A conurbation (that’s a ?)

5

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 settlements

• Then they needed transport networks.

• Some settlements proved to be better places to live and so they grew.

6Y7 Geography

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

If I lived a long time ago and wanted to build a settlement, what would I need?

Where would I choose to go?

7

Here are Here are some villages some villages – can you say – can you say

why they why they might be might be there?there?

8

The site of a settlement is where The site of a settlement is where the settlement has been built.the settlement has been built.

A good site would have

some of these

Protection/defence

Water

Sheltered

Flat land

Fertile soil

Routes through

Place that will not flood

Through gaps in hills

Safe way across rivers

Along valley sides

Why?

9

Valley SiteValley Site

Some settlements are located in a valley to obtain water from the river. The Some settlements are located in a valley to obtain water from the river. The flat land (deposited silt) also provided fertile farmland. The flat land above flat land (deposited silt) also provided fertile farmland. The flat land above the floodplain might provide an excellent transport route way.the floodplain might provide an excellent transport route way.

River floodplainRiver floodplainRaised river terraceRaised river terrace

10

Gap TownGap Town

In places which provide an easy route through In places which provide an easy route through a ridge or highland villages were set up to take a ridge or highland villages were set up to take advantage of the trade and travellers. Highland can provide advantage of the trade and travellers. Highland can provide good defensive sites. good defensive sites.

Example: Corfe, Example: Corfe, Isle of PurbeckIsle of Purbeck

11

Defence SiteDefence Site

Early settlers needed to find places which were easily defended from attack. A Early settlers needed to find places which were easily defended from attack. A good site was one which was surrounded by a river meander. The villagers good site was one which was surrounded by a river meander. The villagers would only have to build defences on one side at the neck of the meander.would only have to build defences on one side at the neck of the meander.

River meander (incised)River meander (incised) Defences on the Defences on the neck of meanderneck of meander

Example: City of DurhamExample: City of Durham

12

Dry Point SiteDry Point Site

In areas of the country where the landscape flooded regularly people In areas of the country where the landscape flooded regularly people sought locations which were normally drier. This might be on the edge of sought locations which were normally drier. This might be on the edge of the wetland area or on islands of higher land.the wetland area or on islands of higher land.

Example: Isle Ely (Fens), CambridgeshireExample: Isle Ely (Fens), Cambridgeshire

13

Bridging PointBridging Point

Villages were sometimes built at places where it was easier to cross a valley Villages were sometimes built at places where it was easier to cross a valley floodplain. These places acted as nodal points, an attraction for travellers floodplain. These places acted as nodal points, an attraction for travellers and traders.and traders.

Example: City of Oxford Example: City of Oxford

14

North side -little sun and open North side -little sun and open to the North windto the North wind

South side side - gets the sun

and is protected from cold wind

In the northern hemisphere a south facing In the northern hemisphere a south facing slope will have more sun and will be slope will have more sun and will be protected from the cold north wind and crops protected from the cold north wind and crops will grow better. will grow better.

Sheltered TownSheltered Town

15

In summaryIn summary

• There are a number of factors that were important when locating a settlement: • Protection - good views from a hilltop give you warning if you are about to be

attacked. • Water Supply - Plenty of water is needed for drinking, cooking and washing.

Water might come from a river, spring or well. • A Risk of Flooding - Sites must not flood or be marshy. • 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. • Building Materials - Needed wood or stone. Useful to be near a wood or a rocky

hillside. • Supply of Fuel - Wood needed for fires for warmth and to cook on. • Shelter - In the northern hemisphere a south facing slope will have more sun and

will be protected from the cold north wind. • Flat Land - Easier to build on, for growing crops and traveling to other towns. • Economic Activities - Located near to a means of making money.

16

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1

17

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1

18

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1

19

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1

20

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1

21River Wye

Narrow part of river so

easy to cross

Castle mound – a natural rocky outcrop over

looking the river

Why did Rhayader become a settlement? Why did Rhayader become a settlement? What made its site special?What made its site special?

This is an annotated picture – a picture with

labels explaining about things

22

Other issues to considerOther issues to consider

• Where a place is in relation to other places and to the physical surroundings

• 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

23

More about why Rhayader is More about why Rhayader is where it iswhere it is

Limits of the town

High ground to the north - sheltered form the N

windGround that often floods

River Wye

Bridge

Main roads

24

Without the maps you could Without the maps you could explain quite a lotexplain quite a lot

• Rhayader at a narrow rocky point of the R Wye good for defence and for a bridge – also not far north of a good ford.

• It has good transport links to the N, S and E. It is on the main route to England for all central Wales.

• The rocky point was an excellent place to build a castle for defence – it is high above the town, protected on the west by the river and a good place to watch over the 3 routes into the town from the N, S and E.

• It is on a sunny south facing slope and is sheltered by the hills to the North.

• It is restricted in size by the hills to the N, W and E and by the marshy area to the south

25

Settlement patternsSettlement patterns

• As well as coming in a variety of sizes, settlements also come in a variety of shapes or patterns

• Settlements 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.

26

27

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

28

Settlement patternsSettlement patterns

• A 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

29

Settlement patternsSettlement patterns

• Over 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

30

Harlow EssexHarlow Essex

31

So reviewSo review

• A Settlement that that is clustered around a crossroads is a … settlement

• When 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

32

Y7 Geography

So homeworkSo homeworkThink of a town near you – or one you know well. Can you work out why it is there? [Do

discuss this with your parents]Either by using a map/satellite picture and

labelling it or simple sentences.Look back at slides 20, 22 and 23 to see what

you might do

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

maps and satellite pictures