The Rural-Urban Interface in England: A Framework of Analysis

Abstract

The post war years have seen a steady flow of inmigration into the rural hinterlands of conurbations, emanating both from the surrounding rural areas and from the urban complexes themselves. By 1981 over one-fifth of Britain's population was resident in a rural district, the majority falling within zones close to urban centres. This study of southern Staffordshire, part of the rural hinterland of the West Midlands Conurbation, and southern Hampshire, adjacent to the SouthamptonPortsmouth axis, the South Hampshire Conurbation, assesses this process. Using the technique of cluster analysis, three broad groupings of settlement are identified: the small agricultural settlement, the urbanized commuter village and settlements in the process of consolidation between the two. An analysis is undertaken of the 'hinterland population', the diverse populations now resident within the rural hinterlands. Nine broad groupings emerge from this population, identifiable with reference to socio-economic characteristics and ways of life. These groups are represented in various proportions within each settlement type, in relation to the dominant housing class found there. As a result a variety of community forms are seen to be developing, with a polarization of settlements along class lines.