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Combe

Type of valley used in place names

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
3 min read
Source updated September 25, 2025
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A combe (/kuːm/; also spelled coombe or coomb and, in place names, comb) can refer either to a steep, narrow valley, or to a small valley or large hollow on the side of a hill; in any case, it is often understood simply to mean a small valley through which a watercourse does not run.

The word "combe" derives from Old English cumb and is unrelated to the English word "comb". From Middle English coumbe, cumbe, from Old English cumb, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kumbaz; compare Dutch kom ("bowl, basin"), German Kump ("vessel"). Related to Welsh cwm ("a hollow valley"), of identical meaning, through Proto-Indo-European *ḱumbʰ-.

Today, the word is used mostly in reference to the combes of southern and southwestern England.

01Examples

The following is a list places in the British Isles named for having combes:

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Combe”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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