Site and Situation

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Site and Situation
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How can we describe settlements?
Site
Population
Area
Situation
Shape
Function
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Site and situation
Site
Describes the actual land upon which a settlement
is built.
Situation
Describes where the settlement is located in
relation to other surrounding features such as
other settlements, rivers and communications.
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Settlement sites
You are the chief of a small tribe who have
migrated from your homelands in the south due to
war. You have arrived in a new area but need to
choose between sites A, B and C for your new
settlement. Explain how you decided on your
choice of site.
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Settlement sites
Dry Point Sites Settlements that have been built
upon higher land above the floodplain to protect
them from flooding or upon islands of higher,
drier ground in an otherwise marshy area. For
example, Ely in Cambridgeshire.
Wet Point Sites Settlements that have been built
by rivers or at springs to improve their access
to water. For example, Kingston-Upon-Thames in
Surrey.
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Defence Settlements that have been built on a
site that protects them from surrounding tribes.
Such sites may have been protected on three
sides by water (e.g. Durham) or on a hill with
steep sides and commanding views.
Gordes, France
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Communications
Bridging Points These settlements are located by
a bridge on a river. They might originally have
been built by a ford in the river. For example,
Bedford in Bedfordshire.
Nodal Points These settlements are located where
several valleys (natural routes) meet to give a
route centre.
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Resources
Food supply Settlements that were located on
suitable land for animal grazing and for growing
crops.
Fuel supply Settlements that were built by
wooded areas or in later times on coalfields.
Fuel was vital for both heating and cooking.
Which factors of location are still applicable
today in Less Economically Developed Countries
(LEDCs)?
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Aspect and shelter
Settlements that were built in sheltered areas
such as valleys or in bays at coastal locations.
Aspect (the direction in which a settlement
faces) was also an important consideration.
Settlements would be more ideally located on
south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere
and on north-facing slopes in the Southern
Hemisphere. For example, in Britain, it was an
advantage to be sheltered from cold winds blowing
from the north, and to be facing south which
meant more sunlight.
S
N
sun is in the south
settlements on south-facing slopes receive more
heat and sunlight
Northern Hemisphere
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Aspect and shelter
The town of Bradford-Upon-Avon in Wiltshire is
located on a steep south-facing slope.
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N
Match the description of the settlement sites to
the locations A to E on the map.
A
Nodal point
Dry point site
B
Bridging point
C
D
Defensive site
E
Wet point site