The name Cors Goch (red bog) in Wales is applied to a wide variety of mire types, from blanket mire, acid basin mires and rich fen. The example on Anglesey is a Cladium mariscus dominated mire .... certainly reddish in contrast to the vivid "Fison's green" of the pastures around, though I agree with Kevin Gilman that the reddish colouration of Eriophorum angustifolium leaf tips is a commoner cause of the reddish colouration in many Welsh mires. Incidentally according to a Welsh speaking colleague, the word "coch" is also used to infer someone who is poor or useless, though she had not heard of this use in relation to land.
A reference to Anglesey from George Kay 1794 (I can't find the detail ref at present) may be of interest
"The climate is moist and unhealthy, producing frequent aguish complaints. This is imparted to the fogs from the Irish sea by which it is almost surrounded. I am however rather inclined to think that this arises from the great number of fens and morasses which if drained would not only be a great aquisition to the proprietors but would lend much to the healthiness of the island."
Some attitudes haven't changed!
John Ratcliffe
Countryside Council for Wales
Bryn Menai
Holyhead Rd
Bangor
Gwynedd
UK- LL57 2JA
01248 373100
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