Town and Settlement Revision Settlement

Settlement Revision
Settlement Site
There are eight main things that help to choose a site to build a settlement.
They are called factors.
The eight factors are
Wet point
Dry point
Building Materials
Defence
Fuel Supply
Food Supply
Bridging point
Shelter and Aspect.
Wet Point. A settlement needs to be close to a reliable source of water.
In early days, rivers were clean enough to give a safe, permanent supply.
Dry Point. A site has to be safe from flooding and away from marshy areas.
Building Materials. These include stone, wood and clay which had to be available.
They are usually heavy and hard to move.
Defence. Surrounding tribes were often hostile.
A good defensive site would be within a river bend or on a hill with steep sides and commanding views.
Fuel Supply. A large fuel supply was needed for heating and cooking.
In earlier times in Britain, and still today in many developing countries, this would be mainly wood.
Food Supply. Food supplies were needed from land nearby.
Some land would be suitable for rearing animals.
Some land would be good to grow crops
Bridging Point. A place where the river was shallow, and narrow enough for a bridge to be built.
A route centre where valleys met was also an advantage.
Shelter and aspect. A place needed shelter from the prevailing south-westerly and cold northerly winds.
A south-facing aspect gives most sunshine heat and light.
The growth of cities, along with more people living in these cities and towns is called urbanisation.
Settlement Patterns
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