We are very fortunate to live by the sea in the little village of Uphill. Although there is a hill on the south side of the village, the last of the chain of Mendip Hills, that is not how the village got its name. A local word for creek or inlet is pill, originally an Anglo-Saxon word, and the pill lead from the sea to the River Axe. In Saxon times there was a local chief called Oppa, and so it became known as Oppa’s Pill… contracted to Uphill or so the story goes! The wharf was used from ancient times, certainly by the Romans shipping lead and other minerals from the Mendips, and other produce from the fertile land. Traders from Wales, and Ireland came, and one local legend is that St Patrick was a taken from Uphill by Irish pirates!
We often wander down to the beach, especially out of the holiday season or when there is a very high tide.
Lois Elsden 
Hi Lois, I love this sort of thing — a word that seems logically to have one etymology, yet in fact has quite another. Especially when it also serves as a preserved slice of local history.
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What a beautiful place to live – and surrounding by such amazing history…There’s lots of history where I live, too, but most of it is lost or hidden.
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Where do you live, Alarna? I think hidden history is fascinating too, because you know it is lurking there, ready to be discovered!
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Hi Lois! I see now you discovered I am from Tasmania / Australia. Ours is the most ancient land mass on earth…and its Aboriginal culture is one to match. Sadly, we don’t know nearly enough about it, though the land speaks volumes 🙂
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Tasmania! Top of my want to go list! My great-grandfather was born there and I would love to visit the places he knew… and also explore all the places I’ve discovered while researching his life! It looks the most wonderful place, so varied, so ancient!
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