Boreades wrote: Somewhere recently I read an article on Romans arriving in some part of the Middle East. IIRC, they were amazed by boatloads of the locals waiting and watching out to sea, for when balls of pitch or tar would float to the surface. Followed by a mad scramble to see who got to it first and laid claim to it. As it was a highly valued material.
I've been looking at a former tidal island called St Michael at Vale in northern Guernsey which used to be separated from the rest of the island by a shallow channel called Braye du Valle. The word
brai in French means pitch or tar.
P.S. The tiny village of Bray in Berkshire was once an important ferry crossing though its St Michael's church seems unnecessarily grand. What I found more curious is the manner of its access -- the website says
There is ample free parking in Causeway Car Park opposite the High Street entrance, which suggests it was on an eyot or island.