The settlement pattern of the Vale of Pickering is striking. There are two types of settlement, both relating to the topography. The first group is the villages and towns on the northern and southern fringes of the area. These settlements were established in close proximity to each other on the approximate shoreline of the glacial lake. They were built along the spring line, where the underlying aquifers met less porous rocks. Many of the parishes associated with the settlements are linear running from the vale bottom upwards to the higher ground, meaning that the long narrow parishes each had an amount of different types of soil and elevation. The second type of settlement is on the valley floor. These are small more widely spaced villages in areas of rising ground. These villages result from the relatively late enclosure of the carr lands following their drainage at the beginning of the 19th century. Long narrow lanes and tracks with wide grass verges link these settlements and solid well managed hedges.