Burry Holms () (), a tidal island with the height of () is at the northern end of Rhossili in the Gower Peninsula, Wales. During spring and summer, Burry Holms is covered by flowers such as Armeria maritima and Silene uniflora.
Etymologies
The island was well known within Celtic Christianity as it was heavily associated with traditions of
Cenydd, who is said to have lived on the island as a hermit and is linked to the contemporary archeological remains found there. As such, the island is certain to have had an identifiable name in both
Old Welsh and Ecclesiastical Latin, likely using Cenydd as an
eponym.
Indeed, early English records give the name as
"Saint Kenyth atte Holmes", suggesting that at least one of these pre-Norse conventions was still known and recorded centuries later.
" Holmes" is a common element of English place-names in Wales, ultimately deriving from the Old Norse holmr, which denotes "a small and rounded islet". The island appears as "Holmes" and "Holmes en Gower", in the Calendar of Patent rolls entries for the 1440s, where it is listed as a "chapel or hermitage".
History
9,000 years ago, the sea was up to 12 miles (19 km) away. Inhabited by
Mesolithic ,
flint provide the first evidence of their existence.
Charcoal hazelnut tools made out of
wood and
bone were found in 1919. A 1998 excavation by the National Museums and Galleries of Wales found that Burry Holms was used as a Mesolithic seasonal camp.
Iron Age people subsequently built a
hillfort and ditch on the island, while in
Medieval times it was home to a
monastery. The island is popular among collectors of
Exoskeleton.
See also
-
List of hillforts in Wales
External links
