Post by Admin on Oct 4, 2016 19:09:31 GMT
There are three types of settlement. Nucleated or clustered settlements are settlements where the buildings are grouped together. Linear settlements are settlements which occur in a line, e.g. along a road. Dispersed settlement occurs when settlement is found all over an area. There is no definite pattern.
Factors that influence distribution of nucleated settlement in Ireland can be physical or social. Physical factors include altitude, drainage patterns and land quality. Social factors include the influence of history and primacy of Dublin. Most Irish towns are found in low-lying areas. Settlement avoids mountainous areas. The land is too steep and exposed. Transportation is always a problem in upland areas. Settlement tends to locate in low-lying river valleys. The river was used as a mode of transport and as a source of water for industrial and domestic use. Rivers also provided alluvium - a very fertile soil for agriculture. Rivers also acted as bridging or crossing points. At the crossing points trade developed. Dublin grew up as a crossing point on the Liffey. Low-lying fertile land always attracts settlement. The land is most fertile on the easy coast. On the west coast the land is of poor quality. Rainfall is also greater. Consequently, towns on the east side act as market towns for their hinterland. Due to poor land on the west many settlers settled along the coast establishing fishing communities.
The Vikings arrived in 840AD and settled at river mouths along the east and south coasts, e.g. Dublin, Wexford & Waterford. During the monastic period monasteries were established, often in very remote places, for example Glendalough. The monasteries attracted settlement and towns developed. The Normans introduced castles to Ireland. Castles were built for defensive purposes. Settlement was attracted to the castle and towns developed as a result, e.g. Kilkenny & Athlone. The Plantations of the 16th & 17th centuries introduced planned towns into Ireland. Portlaoise was developed during the Laois/Offaly Plantation. Youghal was established during the Munster Plantation. The towns of Donegal and Monaghan were established during the Ulster Plantation. Individual landlords often built towns on their estates. Adare in Co. Limerick was built by a landlord to add to the appearance of his estate. During the 20th century many Irish towns and especially Dublin developed rapidly. Dublin has grown so fast that it is referred to as a primate city. A primate city is a city that is at least twice as big as the country's next largest city. Dublin has developed into a primate city because it is the seat of government, it's location on the east coast is ideal for trading with Britain & the EU, it is the focus of major routeways and it contains the headquarters of Ireland's major financial institutions. Satellite towns such as Tallaght and Maynooth have developed around Dublin to ease the pressure on the capital city. Dublin acts as a magnet for economic growth. As a result many rapidly growing settlements, e.g. Tallaght have developed in a clustered pattern around Dublin. Dublin has become a focus of routeways. Towns on the main routeways, often called growth corridors, have developed due to their accessibility to Dublin city. These towns form a linear pattern of settlement along these routes or corridors.
Nucleated settlements provide the following functions: smaller nucleated settlements act as villages providing a limited range of services to their hinterland. A hinterland is the area served by the settlement. It provides services such as a national school, a petrol station and a church. Larger settlements act as market towns providing a wider range of services to their hinterland. These services include banks, supermarkets and secondary schools. Some of the earliest settlements developed as defensive towns. These towns often contain a castle. Some settlements provide an ecclesiastical function. These settlements may have been associated with saints or apparitions. Some settlements developed as resource-based settlements. These settlements contained resources such as coal or silver. Recreational settlements provide leisure-based activities. These settlements may have long sandy beaches or access to a large variety of outdoor pursuits like golf or mountaineering. Recreational or dormitory settlements provide people with housing. These settlements are found on the edge of cities. People travel to the city everyday to work and travel home to their settlements every evening.
The Dutch Polders - An Example Of New Settlement:
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. It is a low-lying country which is subject to flooding. To solve the problems of flooding and to make more land available for a growing population the Dutch have reclaimed land from the sea. Land that been reclaimed from the sea is called a polder. The two major reclamation projects undertaken were: The Zuider Zee Project and The Delta Project. The Zuider Zee used to be a large sea area. Between 1927 and 1968 it was reclaimed and four polders were created. The North-East Polder covers almost 48,000ha. The main town is Emmeloord, which was centered in the middle of the polder. Smaller villages were developed around Emmeloord. These villages were linked by a ring road. They are connected to Emmeloord by radial roads. The cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht make up the Randstad conurbation. A conurbation is made up of many towns and cities which have joined up to form one large urban area. Conurbations because of their size have many problems: traffic congestion, lack of open space, poor air quality & rapidly growing populations. To reduce the pressure on the Randstad the government decided to develop overspill towns. The overspill towns were built on the polders. The towns of Almere and Lelystad are overspill towns. They were built to absorb the growing population of the Randstad.
Settlement along the River Rhine:
The Rhine rises in the Swiss Alps and enters the North Sea at Rotterdam. It flows through four countries: Switzerland, France, Germany and Holland. The river acts as a major transport artery for importing and exporting goods. The Rivery Rhine serves Basle in Switzerland. It is Switzerland's major port. Barges transport goods along the Rhine to Basle. One of it's famous tributaries is the River Ruhr which meets the Rhine at Duisburg. The valley of the Ruhr contains one of Europe's largest coalfields. However, the best coal seams have been exhausted and the enviroment has been damaged. Chemicals, steel are cars are still produced there. The Rhine meets the North Sea at Rotterdam which is regarded as the world's greatest port. It is an entrepot port - the goods are warehoused and stored until they are needed in other parts of Europe. In 1970, Europoort was built to cater for larger ocean going vessels and oil tankers.
Settlement along the River Shannon:
The River Shannon is Ireland's longest river. It has attracted settlement since the earliest times. Many major Irish towns have grown up along the banks of the Shannon. Carrick-on-Shannon and Longford developed as market towns on the Shannon. Athlone developed as a crossing point on the Shannon. In earlier times it performed a defensive role. It is now a centre of tourism and education. Shannonbridge is a resource-based settlement. It is famous for its peat burning ESB power station. Killaloe is a tourist centre, offering boating activities on Lough Derg and the Shannon. Limerick performed a defensive function in days gone by. Today it is a multifunctional city. It is an industrial centre, an educational centre, a tourist centre and a medical centre. It also acts as a port.
Limerick:
Churches have occupied sites in Limerick since Norman times e.g. St Mary's Cathedral. Currently an administrative centre for a number of dioceses. Located on a wide deep sheltered estuary of the River Shannon. It contains docking facilities for heavy industry, e.g. Auginish Alumina. It is centrally located on the fertile floodplain of the River Shannon. It is located at the lowest bridging point of the Shannon and as a result has become a focus of routeways for the surrounding hinterland.
Cologne:
Christian origins in Cologne date back from 200AD, e.g. world famous Gothic cathedral. Currently the administrative centre for it's archdioceses. Located on the wide deep River Rhine with a sheltered inland location. It is accessible to other European and international ports. It is situated at the meeting point of canal, rail and River Rhine traffic. It contains docking facilities for heavy industrial and agricultural exports. It is centrally located on the fertile floodplain of the River Rhine. It is located at a bridging point of the Rhine and as a result has become a focus of routeways for the surrounding hinterland.
Factors that influence distribution of nucleated settlement in Ireland can be physical or social. Physical factors include altitude, drainage patterns and land quality. Social factors include the influence of history and primacy of Dublin. Most Irish towns are found in low-lying areas. Settlement avoids mountainous areas. The land is too steep and exposed. Transportation is always a problem in upland areas. Settlement tends to locate in low-lying river valleys. The river was used as a mode of transport and as a source of water for industrial and domestic use. Rivers also provided alluvium - a very fertile soil for agriculture. Rivers also acted as bridging or crossing points. At the crossing points trade developed. Dublin grew up as a crossing point on the Liffey. Low-lying fertile land always attracts settlement. The land is most fertile on the easy coast. On the west coast the land is of poor quality. Rainfall is also greater. Consequently, towns on the east side act as market towns for their hinterland. Due to poor land on the west many settlers settled along the coast establishing fishing communities.
The Vikings arrived in 840AD and settled at river mouths along the east and south coasts, e.g. Dublin, Wexford & Waterford. During the monastic period monasteries were established, often in very remote places, for example Glendalough. The monasteries attracted settlement and towns developed. The Normans introduced castles to Ireland. Castles were built for defensive purposes. Settlement was attracted to the castle and towns developed as a result, e.g. Kilkenny & Athlone. The Plantations of the 16th & 17th centuries introduced planned towns into Ireland. Portlaoise was developed during the Laois/Offaly Plantation. Youghal was established during the Munster Plantation. The towns of Donegal and Monaghan were established during the Ulster Plantation. Individual landlords often built towns on their estates. Adare in Co. Limerick was built by a landlord to add to the appearance of his estate. During the 20th century many Irish towns and especially Dublin developed rapidly. Dublin has grown so fast that it is referred to as a primate city. A primate city is a city that is at least twice as big as the country's next largest city. Dublin has developed into a primate city because it is the seat of government, it's location on the east coast is ideal for trading with Britain & the EU, it is the focus of major routeways and it contains the headquarters of Ireland's major financial institutions. Satellite towns such as Tallaght and Maynooth have developed around Dublin to ease the pressure on the capital city. Dublin acts as a magnet for economic growth. As a result many rapidly growing settlements, e.g. Tallaght have developed in a clustered pattern around Dublin. Dublin has become a focus of routeways. Towns on the main routeways, often called growth corridors, have developed due to their accessibility to Dublin city. These towns form a linear pattern of settlement along these routes or corridors.
Nucleated settlements provide the following functions: smaller nucleated settlements act as villages providing a limited range of services to their hinterland. A hinterland is the area served by the settlement. It provides services such as a national school, a petrol station and a church. Larger settlements act as market towns providing a wider range of services to their hinterland. These services include banks, supermarkets and secondary schools. Some of the earliest settlements developed as defensive towns. These towns often contain a castle. Some settlements provide an ecclesiastical function. These settlements may have been associated with saints or apparitions. Some settlements developed as resource-based settlements. These settlements contained resources such as coal or silver. Recreational settlements provide leisure-based activities. These settlements may have long sandy beaches or access to a large variety of outdoor pursuits like golf or mountaineering. Recreational or dormitory settlements provide people with housing. These settlements are found on the edge of cities. People travel to the city everyday to work and travel home to their settlements every evening.
The Dutch Polders - An Example Of New Settlement:
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. It is a low-lying country which is subject to flooding. To solve the problems of flooding and to make more land available for a growing population the Dutch have reclaimed land from the sea. Land that been reclaimed from the sea is called a polder. The two major reclamation projects undertaken were: The Zuider Zee Project and The Delta Project. The Zuider Zee used to be a large sea area. Between 1927 and 1968 it was reclaimed and four polders were created. The North-East Polder covers almost 48,000ha. The main town is Emmeloord, which was centered in the middle of the polder. Smaller villages were developed around Emmeloord. These villages were linked by a ring road. They are connected to Emmeloord by radial roads. The cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht make up the Randstad conurbation. A conurbation is made up of many towns and cities which have joined up to form one large urban area. Conurbations because of their size have many problems: traffic congestion, lack of open space, poor air quality & rapidly growing populations. To reduce the pressure on the Randstad the government decided to develop overspill towns. The overspill towns were built on the polders. The towns of Almere and Lelystad are overspill towns. They were built to absorb the growing population of the Randstad.
Settlement along the River Rhine:
The Rhine rises in the Swiss Alps and enters the North Sea at Rotterdam. It flows through four countries: Switzerland, France, Germany and Holland. The river acts as a major transport artery for importing and exporting goods. The Rivery Rhine serves Basle in Switzerland. It is Switzerland's major port. Barges transport goods along the Rhine to Basle. One of it's famous tributaries is the River Ruhr which meets the Rhine at Duisburg. The valley of the Ruhr contains one of Europe's largest coalfields. However, the best coal seams have been exhausted and the enviroment has been damaged. Chemicals, steel are cars are still produced there. The Rhine meets the North Sea at Rotterdam which is regarded as the world's greatest port. It is an entrepot port - the goods are warehoused and stored until they are needed in other parts of Europe. In 1970, Europoort was built to cater for larger ocean going vessels and oil tankers.
Settlement along the River Shannon:
The River Shannon is Ireland's longest river. It has attracted settlement since the earliest times. Many major Irish towns have grown up along the banks of the Shannon. Carrick-on-Shannon and Longford developed as market towns on the Shannon. Athlone developed as a crossing point on the Shannon. In earlier times it performed a defensive role. It is now a centre of tourism and education. Shannonbridge is a resource-based settlement. It is famous for its peat burning ESB power station. Killaloe is a tourist centre, offering boating activities on Lough Derg and the Shannon. Limerick performed a defensive function in days gone by. Today it is a multifunctional city. It is an industrial centre, an educational centre, a tourist centre and a medical centre. It also acts as a port.
Limerick:
Churches have occupied sites in Limerick since Norman times e.g. St Mary's Cathedral. Currently an administrative centre for a number of dioceses. Located on a wide deep sheltered estuary of the River Shannon. It contains docking facilities for heavy industry, e.g. Auginish Alumina. It is centrally located on the fertile floodplain of the River Shannon. It is located at the lowest bridging point of the Shannon and as a result has become a focus of routeways for the surrounding hinterland.
Cologne:
Christian origins in Cologne date back from 200AD, e.g. world famous Gothic cathedral. Currently the administrative centre for it's archdioceses. Located on the wide deep River Rhine with a sheltered inland location. It is accessible to other European and international ports. It is situated at the meeting point of canal, rail and River Rhine traffic. It contains docking facilities for heavy industrial and agricultural exports. It is centrally located on the fertile floodplain of the River Rhine. It is located at a bridging point of the Rhine and as a result has become a focus of routeways for the surrounding hinterland.