Spring point settlements and Gap settlements different
Answers
Answer:
The piece of land upon which a settlement is built is the settlement site.
There are many reasons why a site might be chosen for the development of a settlement and some factors will be more important than others.
Some common site factors include:
Wet point sites - these have a good water supply. Many settlements grew around wet point sites, eg villages in the South Downs.
Dry point sites - these are away from the risk of flooding, eg Ely in Cambridgeshire.
Defensive sites - often found on higher ground so that in the past, enemies could be seen from a distance, eg Corfe Castle, Dorset, or in the loop of a meander, eg Durham.
Aspect - settlements are often found on the sunny side of a deep valley. This is common in settlements in the Alps.
Shelter - from cold prevailing winds and rain.
Gap towns - Lincoln is found in a gap between two areas of higher ground.
Resources - important for industry, eg villages such as Aberfan in the Welsh valleys is close to coal reserves.
Bridging point - settlements with 'ford' in their name often grew around a fording point or bridging point, eg Watford is found on the River Colne.
Trading centres - often settlements grow where natural route ways and rivers meet, which helps the development of roads, railways and canals.