Place Names
Elements which appear in all placenames include: combe (various spellings) = wooded valley (from the Old English); down = dun (OE) = hill; ham = ham(m) (OE) = meadow, enclosure, close; stoke = stoc (OE) = place (possibly connected with a monastery); ton = tun (OE) = fence = enclosure, village, town. (Origin is early, possibly Saxon). The dates refer to dated documents.
- Anstey's Cove = narrow cove also Anson's, Anstis or Braddy Cove (Anstis quarry 1655)
- Babba[i]combe = Babba'a valley (c1200)
- Barton = corn farm (OE) = outlying grange
- Braddon = brad (OE) = broad, wide hill.
- Cary Park = former name "Little Park"
- Chelston = Ceola's tun? also Chilson/Chilston (IPM1438)
- Cockington = Cocca's tun or cocra (crooked)
- Corbyn Head = Corvanesse (1196) = carved nose
- Daddyhole = Demon (or Daddy)'s Hole.
- Edginswell = Ecgwulf's well or water (DB1086)
- Flete = tidal creek or stream
- Hope Farm, Nose, etc. = hop (OE) = (blind) valley.
- Ilsham = Illa's ham or fr. igil a hedgehog
- Kent's Cavern = personal name or white cave?
- Lincombe = hlynn (OE) = torrent; clear running water
- Livermead = iris or rush meadow
- Lyd Well or "Our Lady's Well" - a small spring at Wellswood
- Maidencombe = maegen-dun = maiden or may weed? = cumb
- Marldon = gentian (Mergheldon(e) 14th c. Marldon 1524)
- Oar (Ore) stone = grey stone (Horestane c1550 Leland)
- Oddicombe = oddi (OScand) = point or cape + cumb
- Petitor = pytt (OE) = pit, hole, cavity + tor?
- Could be corruption of Peattle's tor (c.f Pettiwell)
- Quinta = quinta = Sp. villa, country house (1606)
- St Marychurch = Sancte Maria Circea 1050-72
- Shiphay = sceap (OE) + hay [ham] = sheep enclosure 1086
- Stantaway Hill - between Teignmouth & Parkfield Roads. Ekwall locates the name in Gloucestershire, i.e. "stony road" fr. OE staniht - stony
- Stentiford's Hill - from William Stentiford who built two cottages in Pimlico c1810/20; really "Appaway Hill". An exploration in October 1862 of cavern found on Happaway Hill; area now quarried away, was behind buildings in Market Street. Also known as Hoppaway as well as Happaway Cavern.
- Torquay = Torrequay (1591); Torkay (1668); Torkey (1715)
- Tor Quay (1765); also la Getie de Torrebaie (1412)
- Torre = tor (OE) = high rock, peak or hill
- Torra (DB1086) T(h)orre; Torre Brywere 13th cent. fr. Wm Briwere; Torre Moun; Torremohon; Torremohun; Torre Mohoun (14th cent) after dau. of Br. m. Wm de Mohun. Tormoham used [incorrectly] from 1585-end 19th cent.
- Tor Hill Road = earlier name "Church Road"
- Trumlands = troemel (OE) = monument or cross. Trummerland in 1814
- Upton (Manor) = higher farm
- Waldon = wald (OE) = open/waste ground. (c.f weald)
- Walls Hill = from prehistoric camp there?
- Warborough = waru (OE) + beorg = watch hill
- Watcombe = wheat valley
- Windmill Hill (or Yaddon Down) as Windmylparke (1580)
