River Parrett is a 'pre-English river-name of obscure origin'. The River Parrett, the Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary are believed to have been used for riverine bulk transportation of people and supplies in Somerset under Roman and later Anglo-Saxon and Norman occupation. Roman Somerset, which lasted for over 250 years until around the beginning of the 5th century, had various settlements, including Bath ("Aquae Sulis"), Ilchester ("Lindinis") and lead mines at Charterhouse; and four roads surrounding the Somerset Levels. There is evidence of two Roman ports on the Parrett. The port at Combwich, on the west bank, was ill-recorded before its
Christianity in Roman Britain introduced Roman counterparts were venerated in the region, sometimes syncretising together, as in cases like Apollo-Cunomaglus and Sulis-Minerva. Romano-British temples were sometimes erected at locations that had earlier been cultic sites in the pre-Roman Iron Age. A new style of "Romano-Celtic temple" developed which was influenced by both Iron Age and imperial Roman architectural styles but also unique from both; buildings in this style remained in use until the fourth century. The cults of various eastern deities had also been introduced to Roman Britain, among them those of the deities Isis, Mithras, and Cybele; Christianity was just one of these