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A term used in Scottish names of promontories: Mull, such as Kintyre inhabited since around 6000 BC. The Isle of Mull (or simply Mull; Muile in Scottish Gaelic) is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute with links from Mull travel to the surrounding islands of (from Fionnphort) Iona and Ulva and some of the scenes featured in the Harry Potter movies. From the Mull of Galloway, landscape with a grass roof gives views across to Ireland and South to the Isle of Man. From this part of the Island also the view to the eastward is finer than from the old monastic sites, because lona here overlaps the end of the Ross of Mull, and the eye ranges along its northern coast, thus commanding the mouth of Loch Scriden, as well as the receding shores of Loch-na Kael. During the Glacial Epoch great masses of ice must have descended from the mountains of Mull, and pressing over the low promontory of the Ross, sent floating icebergs to lona, and to the open sea.
Rushen is the only parish-name which has not been satisfactorily explained. Most of them commemorate saints, though the saint is not in every case identifiable with certainty; but Rushen-correctly " Kirk Christ in Rushen "-owes, like Lezayre-" Kirk Christ in the Ayre "-her title to the sheading to which she belongs. The use of the sheading-name alone in these two instances is evidently for the sake of distinguishing between the two churches bearing the Norseman's dedication to Christ. The sheading again must have been named from the region lying about Castletown and Ballasalla, where the pre-existing place-name Russin was applied to the Abbey and the Castle together with its adjacent buildings at an early period. The word occurs also in Knock Rushen near Castletown, Cronk Rushen near Kirk Christ Rushen, Glen Rushen in Patrick and Lough Rushinagh in Andreas; and, without the suffix, in Pulrose (Pooylroish) in Braddan, Ross Vedn and Ross y Reema in Maughold, and in Rass ny Muck (possibly for Rassan ny Muck) in the Mull peninsula. In Ireland it is equally prevalent; the sense attached to it in the South has not changed since the compilation of Cormac's Glossary. Joyce gives over a dozen current examples, some of which are identical in form with the Manx word, while others are spelt Rossan as in Scotland. In Pembrokeshire it is Rhossan, with the meaning, slightly differing from the Gaelic, of " heath-land." The force of the diminutive -en, etc., seems to have operated in two ways, denoting sometimes a wood of small extent and sometimes a wood of low growth, i.e., brushwood, undergrowth or shrubby trees. The latter has probably been the original signification in most of the Manx instances.
Mull, from the Gaelic Am Maol, is an exclusively Scottish term for the geographic feature known as a headland or promontory and, often more specifically, for the tip of that promontory or peninsula. The term is most commonly found in use in the southwest of the country. A natural elevation especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea. The Mull has been an important landbridge throughout history. It is thought that it was used by early man in their travels from continental Europe to Ireland. In more recent times it was used again by the Scotti when they travelled from Ireland to establish the kingdom of Dál Riata in modern-day Argyll.
Foreland is the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It is located five kilometres east of the town of Brading, and due south of the city of Portsmouth on the British mainland. The Downs between North Foreland and South Foreland, off Deal, Kent, SE England, in the English Channel. It is protected, except from strong south winds, by the Goodwin Sands and the coast and was a roadstead in the English Channel off the east coast of Kent, between north and south. The Downs lie between the Strait of Dover and the Thames Estuary, so both merchant ships awaiting an easterly wind to take them down the English Channel and those going up to London gathered there, often for quite long periods.
RATHS. A common variation on the hill fort idea is the rath, or cliff fort, often found in southwest Wales. In this style of construction a ditch and dyke cut across a headland or promontory, creating an enclosure defended on three sides by the sea. These cliff forts are often small, enclosing a handful of huts, which suggests that they were little more than family sanctuaries. At the opposite end of the settlement spectrum - and the opposite end of Wales - is Tre'r Ceiri in Gwynedd. This village site is encircled by stone walls which rise to over 14 feet in height in places, and enclose 150 huts built of stone with turf roofs. The site first saw settlement about the yeare 200 BCE, and there is a possibility that it was merely the summer upland quarters of a community of shepherds.
In pre-Roman times Scotland was inhabited by Mainly Celtic People who had arrived in Scotland in three principal waves of immigration. Some came to the east coast by way of the South of England, others by way of Gaul to the south of England; and thirdly from the Continent by way of Ireland. After the Roman departure, five races settled Scotland; the Picts who occupied most of the land North of the Forth and Clyde; the Scots who arrived on the West coast at the beginning of the sixth century in what is now Argyll; the British who had been pressed out of England; the Attacotti who inhabited Galloway; and the Saxons who settled the South-East of Scotland. It is about this time that Christianity was introduced into Scotland by Saint Ninian about A.D. 396 and by Saint Columba about A.D. 563.
The earliest traced reference to the Roman Town of Ariconium (ROSS-ON-WYE) is in 150AD by a road surveyor. In the third century the 'Antonine Itinerary' was compiled which listed distances between towns and quoted a distance of 15 miles between Glevum (ie Gloucester) and Ariconium. The town was then situated on what was the main road from Gloucester to the west and, since Ariconium is stated to have been a major town, there were probably several additional roads running in other directions - indeed the Antonine Itinerary also includes the distance from Ariconium to Blestium (ie Monmouth) at 11 miles.
King Offa 757-796 made Herefordshire into an English county and emphasised the boundary between the two countries by digging a great earthen ditch, Offa's Dyke, whilst the Wye formed parts of the border south of Monmouth. The River Wye's journey from the Welsh hills of Plynlimon through the Welsh borderlands into western and south Herefordshire, crossing the border again near Monmouth and flowing through the beautiful lower Wye Valley to the Severn Estuary at Chepstow. Chase Hill fort is 2km south of Ross-on-Wye, about 19 acres and occupies a commanding viewpoint of 200m height, with panoramic views in most directions. Four hundred million years ago, the rivers of north and mid-Wales drained towards the south-east leaving deposits of sandstone and limestone, later to be followed by the entire area being flooded by the rising sea level at the thawing of the Ice Age. The origins of the River Wye are deep within the hills of Wales at Plynlimon, a heather-clad mountain dominating central Wales. In the Welsh hillside, crossing the border into England at Hay-on-Wye to flow through the Herefordshire plains, then crossing the border returning to Wales at Monmouth to head southwards to re-join its sister river, the River Severn, in the Severn Estuary at Chepstow.
Excavations have revealed Neolithic flints and late Iron Age pottery while further pre-roman pottery was found slightly the west of the fort.. following the departure of the Romans in the 5th century AD enabled the Welsh to take command of the west of Herefordshire up to the River Wye which formed a boundary. Even today, many towns to the west of the Wye have retained their welsh names, such as Llangarron. In marked contrast, there are very few, if any Welsh-names towns or villages on the eastern bank. The Romans had many workings within the region and the Forest of Dean became one of the most important iron ore deposits in the UK. Iron ore was brought to Ariconium for smelting in furnaces to produce military equipment, tools, lamps and other domestic goods.
Timber was brought from the Forest of Dean as a supply of charcoal. The town was probably laid out like other Roman towns with streets forming a grid pattern and having a bath house on the outskirts. The Forest of Dean takes its name from ‘dene’, an ancient word meaning series of wooded valleys in which swine are fed. The former is most apt for this beautiful landscape offering views across the Severn to the east and Wye Valley to the west.
Prior to the Roman invasion there was much strife in this area witnessed by the many old hill-forts - Capler Camp, Chase Woods Hill fort, Dinedor Hill and Herefordshire Beacon on the Malvern Hills. The town probably grew over 300 - 400 AD and developed into an important smelting centre for iron and possibly also became an administration centre. Prior to the arrival of the Roman Legions, the land was occupied by Celtic tribes such as the Silures who protected their area, which extended to the River Severn, welsh mountains, Hereford and the iron mines of the Forest of Dean. A series of hill-forts were built above steep hillsides with extensive views overlooking the surrounding countryside surrounded by ditches and ramparts to provide isolation and defences to guard their territory, the sites of many local forts remain - e.g. Chase Woods hill fort, which was laid out like a small hill town. Eventually these were conquered by the Romans and Roman-town Ariconium, originally named Ergyng around 50AD, developed. Later, the Saxons renamed the ex-Ergyng part of Ariconium as Archenfield - a name which still exists today on the southern side of town.
High on a sandstone cliff, is the attractive, historic, country market town of Ross-on-Wye. 'Ross', itself, is the Celtic word for 'promontory' or headland - thus describing the town's elevated position today. Into Ross-on-Wye is over Wilton Bridge, following the course of the river Wye as it twists to the left, leading the way into town. Looking up towards the elevated townscape, St Mary's Church dominates the view with the tall spire of the church framed against a backdrop of the wooded hills of Penyard Park while the white building of the Royal Hotel reflects elegantly into the waters of the Wye, being especially attractive when illuminated at night. This entrance route to Ross passes the mock mediaeval battlements - the sandstone town wall and gazebo tower built in 1833 to match Wilton Castle and Market Hall. Ross-on-Wye began its growth at a tourism centre in the 18th century, capitalising upon its unique position and role of 'Gateway to the Wye Valley", promoting the beauty of the River Wye and its attractive surrounding countryside.
The first reference to Ross-on-Wye was in 1016 on a document presented to the Bishopric of Hereford. It was later referred to on the Doomsday Book of 1086. The town grew steadily with a recorded 100 houses and population of 500 in 1285 then grew more rapidly, encouraged by the profitable iron working trade so that Ross had 160 houses and a population of 800 in 1650. In 1841 there were468 houses and a population of 2,523 which grew to 3,505 houses at the time of the last Census in 1991 giving a recorded population of 8,692. By the 14th century the town had grown sufficiently in size and importance to be able to send two MPs to Parliament - a very long trek in those days and the right was later forfeited.
The Brookend area was much busier and more prosperous than it is today and the town mill at Brookend warranted a reference in the Doomsday Book, together with the church, so it is possible that the main town itself, developed between the two points, as it is today, but there is no conclusive evidence either way. Also, the town was originally much further from the river which is gradually creeping closer to the town. A vivid marker of this is a mature oak tree on the Oak Meadow. As Ross became an important town on many coaching routes, the number of coaching inns increased accordingly to meet the new demand. Many of these remain today - such as The King's Head in High Street.