Settlement Key Words Flashcards
Situation
The location of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area. A good situation is an area with potential for growth
Site
The physical land on which the settlement is built
Bridging point
A settlement located where a river is forded or bridged
Route focus (nodal point)
This is a communications focus i.e. crossroads or where roads and railways converge
Wet-point site
The site of a settlement close to a water supply, such as a spring line on a chalk escarpment
Dry-point site
The site of a settlement which avoids land prone to flooding, such as a gravel mound or valley side
Patterns of settlement - isolated
Individual farmhouse separated and surrounded by fields and woodland
Patterns of settlement - dispersed
Small settlements (farms and hamlets) dotted around the countryside
Patterns of settlement - nucleated
Houses, farms and buildings grouped together into villages
Settlement shapes - linear
Houses and buildings located along a road, river or canal; common in steep-sided narrow valleys
Settlement shapes - loose knit
Buildings are more spread out although loosely grouped around crossroads or junctions
Settlement shapes - t-shaped or y-shaped
Found at road junctions
Settlement shapes - double village
A settlement which has developed either side of a ford or bridging point
