Choosing a Site

The site of a settlement is where the settlement has been built. There are a number of factors that were important to the original settlers.
  • Water supply - this needs to be fresh, clean and reliable
  • Building material - either stone or wood
  • Food supply - farmland and fishing grounds were important
  • Land for building - needs to be solid and unlikely to flood; best on low and flat land which is not marshy
  • Fuel supply - e.g. peat, wood or coal
  • Defensive site - a place that is difficult to attack because it is e.g. on top of a steep-sided hill.