My SUP Stories

Coastal Town Names: Where River Meets the Sea

• Type: Coastal
• Description: Geography, travel, language
• Waterway: The English Channel

During my SUP travels, I’ve been immersing myself in the coastal geography of the UK. Unfortunately, not always with great success. There have been places such as Plymouth, Weymouth, Portsmouth, Falmouth, Bournemouth, Dartmouth… Do you see the pattern emerging here? As I sat in Vicky’s car en route to Dorset, it finally dawned on me.

Could the suffix “mouth” in these town names signify their geographical meaning?

• Plymouth, located in Devon, derives its name from the mouth of the River Plym, where it gracefully merges with the Plymouth Sound – an inlet of the English Channel.
• Weymouth in Dorset rests at the mouth of the River Wey, where it meets the English Channel.
• Falmouth in Cornwall nestles itself at the mouth of the tidal River Fal.
• Bournemouth in Dorset owes its name to the convergence of the River Bourne and the English Channel. Doesn’t the Middle English word “bourn” or “burn,” meaning a small stream, add a touch of charm to the name?
• Dartmouth in South Devon sits on the western side of the English Channel’s south coast, marking the point where the River Dart flows into the sea.

The suffix “mouth” finds its origins in the Old English word “mūþa”, referring to an estuary or river mouth. Over time, this term has become embedded in place names to signify these specific locations where rivers merge with the sea.

It’s as if the poetic connection between rivers and the sea has been lovingly preserved in the names of these coastal towns. Do you know any other towns out there that share this characteristic?

If you liked this story, check these coastal SUP posts: SUP Route: Old Harry Rocks (Dorset), SUP Route: Plymouth’s Coastal Paradise (Devon) & SUP Route: Joy of Guided Tour (Wales).