1 Y7 Geography Unit 3: People world Unit 3: People world All about settlements A: Why are they there?
Mar 26, 2015
1Y7 Geography
Unit 3: People worldUnit 3: People world
All about settlements
A: Why are they there?
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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?
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Geoff asks:
What is a settlement?
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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 ?)
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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 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?
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Here are Here are some villages some villages – can you say – can you say
why they why they might be might be there?there?
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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 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
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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
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Harlow EssexHarlow Essex
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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
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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