SETTLEMENT

3 types of settlements

Linear – Dispersed - Nucleated

Linear

Appears as

Houses lined along a road

Provides

Access to towns

Also provides

Access to underground pipes (e.g water, gas, sewerage) and cables (e.g. telephones, ESB lines)

Is found on the

Edges of towns or leading into smaller nucleated settlements

May represent bungalow blitz

Uncontrolled one-off housing developments in the 1980s

Dispersed

Appears as

Individual houses (e.g. farmlands)

Most common

Rural settlement pattern

The density of this settlement type

Depends on soil quality, drainage, and aspect

May represent

One-off housing

Nucleated

Appears as

A cluster of houses or buildings arranged around a crossroads or other road intersection

Includes houses, shops,

And pubs, with a church and school close by

This settlement attracts

Residents, which attracts services

Altitude

Height above sea level

Mountains and hills more than 200 =

Metres above sea level are more exposed to wind and rain

The temperature is

Colder

As a result, towns and cities are not

Usually built on upland areas and are generally found in lowland areas

Lowland areas are usually

Well connected to transport links and easier to build on

Land Quality

Most settlements developed on

Areas of well-drained fertile land

Anglo-Norman settlers were attracted to

Agricultural vallies in Leinster and Munster and developed market settlements like Kilkenny

Over time, the market continued

To drive the growth of these settlements

Drainage

Many Irish settlements are located in

Well-drained areas with rivers or streams

Poorly drained areas contain

Fewer settlements, as the quality of land is not as good

Many towns developed the

Bridging point of a river

A bridging point is a

Part of a river that can be crossed and is often a focal point for trade and transport