The cathedral and its predecessors were built on the shelf of alluvial land that had formed on the outside of the bend where Bradford Beck turns north, but the town grew up on the lower ground on the other side of the beck, so the church was always just outside the centre of town.
32.
Whaley suggests this as the correct interpretation : "'butter lake, the lake with good pasture-land', from OE'butere " butter', conveying the fertile nature of the flat alluvial land at both ends of the lake, plus'mere " lake', . . ."
33.
On arriving at Lord Wellington's headquarters he was posted to the fourth division, commanded by Major-general Cole, and stationed near Torres Vedras, and was at once sent to examine the island of Lyceria, a tract of flat alluvial land in the Tagus, to ascertain whether troops could cross it.
34.
A church, the first in North Devon, was built near where the Caen Stream began to spread its waters on the alluvial lands around the River Taw . " Brannockstood ", the township that grew up around this church, later became " Brantone " and at the end of the 19th century, Braunton.
