How Some Mumbles Landmarks Might Have Got Their Names
More: Many Mumbles street names have changed > But where were they?
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My research has led me to suggest that the name Oystermouth may be derived from Ouest Mouth – a place west of the mouth of the River Tawe, as described by John Leland, Antiquary to Henry VIII, who wrote on his visit here in the sixteenth century, that ' A iii miles from Swinseye at the rode mowth of Tawe was a castel cawllid Est Wilthlunarde otherwise Ostermuth.' At that time, the Bristol Channel and Swansea Bay consisted of large areas of wetlands, with marsh, oak and alder trees, the Tawe meandering through and the River Severn in the distance . . . or the name could have from the Welsh Ystumllwynarth meaning a 'curved wooded ridge.'
Mumbles was the name reputedly given by the Normans to the two islands off Mumbles Head, because of their similarity to 'breasts' (Mammelles) . . . but may have come down from the Welsh Mammoel or 'bare place or spot.' Newton and Norton are self-explanatory - 'New' and 'North' settlements.
Other names are more obscure and intriguing e.g. the name of our old harbour, Horsepool. The explanation might lie in its long-forgotten history. Historian, WSK Thomas recorded in his book, that hoeçepol was a term known to have been used in medieval Gloucester as 'the place for the levy of tolls' on the River Severn. This was marked by a 'passing pole' and beyond this point, tolls would have had to be paid by ships seeking to enter. The Anglo-Saxon dictionary perhaps confirms this as hæc means 'gate' and pol means 'pool'. Could this be the derivation of our Horsepool as a place to levy landing charges? It is known that there was a ‘passing pole’ on the Tawe at Swansea.
Similarly with Marepool, which on our older maps is spelled Mearpool, (Mearc meaning a 'boundary') and abuts an ancient boundary, which is still visible today (although the pool at this point has been filled in) as the 'green lane' which winds its way down to an inlet, once known as 'Jinny's Gut'.
All our Slades – Broadslade (Bracelet) Limeslade and Rotherslade derive from the Anglo-Saxon word, Slæd meaning 'valley'.
The Knab comes from a Norse word, Nabbr meaning a projecting Knoll or Crag.
A Dun is a medieval (or earlier) fortified stone building and Dunns [sic] Mansion was certainly one. By 1650, it was home to William Madocke, 'together with several acres of land and half a wear' [Fishing wiers or nets > ] for which he paid 2/6d rent. (The ruin was demolished in 1855 and is the site of today's gardens opposite the White Rose). Hence The Dunns, Dunns Lane and Dunns Close.
Caswell is a combination of 'castle' – where there was once a cliff-top Iron Age settlement and a well and Langland was originally Longland, one of the medieval open fields. Mary Twill is reputed to be a corruption of Mary's Well and it has been suggested that Lady Housty is derived from three words – Llety (Welsh) meaning 'a lodging house', Hús from the Old Norse meaning 'house' or 'farm' and Tŷ (Welsh) also meaning 'house'. Thistleboon (once spelled Ffistleboon) may have come from the Welsh pistyll meaning a 'well' or the verb, pistyllio meaning 'to spout'. But who were Dick of Dickslade and Tiddy of Tiddy's 'Ood at Southend?
In conclusion, it seems reasonable that our place names have come down to us from a variety of Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Norse and Welsh roots - as have many of us.
Acknowledgments
Thomas, N., The Mumbles – Past and Present, 1978
Thomas, WSK., The History of Swansea from Rover Settlement to the Restoration, 1990
Anglo-saxon and Norse dictionaries
Oystermouth Parish Map, 1818 West Glam. Archive, Ref: OSD.179.SER.135
Photos from Dr. Ronald Austin, The Harvey Barton Album and our collection.