dispersed settlement

A dispersed settlement is one of the main types of settlement pattern used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England. In a typical dispersed settlement, there are a number of separate farmsteads scattered throughout the area. It contrasts with a nucleated village.Dispersed settlements are often found outside the central region of England in the areas of ancient enclosure such as Essex, Kent and the west country. An example of a dispersed settlement given by W G Hoskins is Middle Barton in Oxfordshire. The farmsteads which make up the dispersed settlement are often surrounded by small irregular shaped fields.
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