Dumble is a regional word used in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England to refer to a wood lined stream often in a small, steep sided valley.
Such areas are generally to the south of Southwell. Here the clay bedrock plateau (Mercia Mudstone) is dissected by a number of streams, forming steep sided, wooded valleys. This gives a pleasing undulating landscape, locally known as The Dumbles. These areas provide a habitat for Bluebell, yellow archangel, ramsons, dog’s mercury and sweet woodruff.
Two ancient Dumbles of the area are Halloughton Dumble and Westhorpe Dumble.
A local pub, "The Dumbles", in the town takes its name from this word.
It is interesting that, in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the name for an intermittent, plateau-bound stream valley is Dambo. A possible link with this word would be interesting to speculate on, and would be best established by a historical search of the age of the word dumble.