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
Aquae Sulis cuamiun ai" "The affixed – Deuina, Deieda, Andagin, (and) Uindiorix – I have bound" An alternative translation based on a much better knowledge of the Celtic languages is the following: "May I, Windiorix for/at Cuamena defeat (alt. "summon to justice") the worthless woman, oh divine Deieda." (Alt. "Divine Deiada, may I, Windiorix, bring to justice/defeat (in court) the woman at Cuamena".) This is a superior, though still uncertain, translation in that it takes into account the nominal cases of the nouns: "Windiorix" (alt. "Windorix") - nominative masculine (subject), lit. "fair-headed" ("windo") "king" ("rix"); "Dewina Deieda" - nominative/vocative feminine "divine Deieda"