“Cole” and “Cold” Place-Names (12 S. xi. 404, 454, 497).—I now find a clue pointing to a Celtic origin for the place-name element “cole.” In Rowland’s ‘Mona Antiqua Restaurata’ (2nd edition, 1766, p. 48), the word “coel” is mentioned in connection with tumuli and cairns, and it is said there are “grounds of probability that it really was some solemn appurtenance of religion, although now quite forgotten.”
Consulting Dr. Pugh’s ‘Welsh Dictionary’ I find:—Coel, An omen, belief; Coelbren, A piece of wood used in choosing or ballotting, whereon are cut the names of candidates; Coel y beirdd, The alphabet of the bards; Coelcerth, Omen of danger, beacon, bonfire; Coelfain, The stones of omen. The above suggest Druidical practices.
There is an earthwork east of Colchester marked on the 1in. Ord. Map as “King Coel’s Castle,” and between Neath and Brecon is an early entrenched camp called Coelbren.
As regards “cold” in place-names, the following are additional
Herefordshire experiences tending to connect the word with sighted trackways.
(1) I visited Coldstone Common on account of its name, and found a straight
slightly sunken track (which could not be a water course) along its whole
length. (2) I visited Coldman Hill for the same reason, and found a straight
sunken track going down to a Wye crossing from which the track (its hollow)
formed a V notch in the sky-line. (3) I halted at a certain spot (a road
junction) on the high-way because I had a long distance sighted track marked as
crossing there. A cottage stood on the high ground at the spot. No name was
marked for it on the map, but I remarked to my companion that being obviously a
sighting point it might have an ancient place-name, and would he knock at the
door and ask? The name was Cold Nose.
Alfred Watkins.
Source info: MS note by AW “N & Q Jan 20th”; checked in library.