The Roman Map of Britain Metallibala Woolaston or Lydney, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Metambala (R&C 50)  next

    R&C thought Nemetambala, PNRB modified it further to Nemetobala - both attempting to relate the name to nemeto- 'sacred grove'.
    While there was a late 3rd century Roman temple at Lydney SO6102, the vicinity's iron-workings were of greater note. L. metallum 'a mine or quarry' seems a good starting point (and simpler to explain palaeographically). PNRB considered Weslh bâl 'peak, summit', and Breton bal 'steep beach, steep slope' presumably from a Celtic *balma 'pointed rock, peak'. This would apply to the northern shore of the Severn coast, a shallow beach rising quickly there, and to the promontory fort.

Lydney SO6102

CAMP HILL PROMONTORY FORT AND ROMANO-BRITISH TEMPLE COMPLEX 
NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 28870 SO61600271

   It has come to my attention that there is a Cornish bal 'area where surface working was
carried out, mine' found in the mine-names Bal an Dreath, Baldhu, Ball, Balleswidden, Balwest, etc. According to Holmes/Padel, 'Bal...usually means a larger conglomeration of mining sites' in modern place-names.

    OED "bal. Also 6­7 ball. [a.Cornish bal ‘collection of mines.’] A mine. attrib., as in bal-girl, -work. c1600 Norden Spec. Brit. Cornw. (1728) 45 Godolphyn ball. 1678 Phil. Trans. XII. 951 Godolphin Ball is the most famous of all the Balls or Mines in Cornwall."

   A metalli-bala 'metal-mine' would be particularly suitable for Lydney. The next entry Albinumno, considering Lydney's proximity to Alvington, is reason to wonder if both entries are part of a corporate name - Metallibala Albinumno. Compare EEix₁₂₆₆ METALLI LVTVDARES 'metallis Lutudarensibus or metalli Lutudaresis' near Matlock, and others - see PNRB p. 403.