| Aira Beck |
The stream with the gravel banks. O.N. eyrr + O.N. á + O.N. bekkr. Several similar names may be found in the Lune Valley (Ayre, Green Ayre, etc.), and in Iceland the stream name 'Eyrara' has the same meaning. Ayrauhe beke c.1250. |
| River Bleng |
The dark river. O.N. blaeingr derived from O.N. blá. Bleng 1576. |
| River Brathay |
The broad river. O.N. breithr + O.N. á. In former days this river was very prone to quick flooding and so was often of considerable breadth. It is also a fairly wide river in its lower reaches. Braitha c.1160. |
| River Calder |
The rocky or rapid-flowing river. Welsh caled + Br. dubro (Welsh dwfr). Caldre c.1200. |
| River Caldew |
The cold river. O.E. cald + O.E. ëa. Caldeu 1189. |
| River Cocker |
The crooked river. A British river-name probably derived from Br. kukra* or crumbaco*, crooked. Koker 1170. |
| Dacre Beck |
The trickling stream. A British river-name derived from Br. dakru or Welsh deigr, a teardrop. Dacore c.730. |
| Dash Beck |
Notable particularly for its waterfalls, known as Whitewater Dash, a spectacular cascade recorded in 1777 as Whitewater Dask. O.N. daska - a slap or resounding buffet. |
| River Derwent |
The river abounding in oak trees. A British river name derived from Br. derw, oak tree, and derwentio, abounding in oak trees. The same British root is found in the River Dart in Devon, the River Darent in Kent, the River Darwen in Lancashire and the Yorkshire and Derbyshire Derwents. |
| River Duddon |
No entirely reliable explanation of this name can be given. The forms found in the 12th century, Duthen and Duden, may indicate a derivation from an English personal name - Dudda - and from O.E. denu, a valley. In this case 'Duddon' would mean 'Dudda's valley'. An alternative suggestion is that the name is based on a lost British river-name containing the Welsh word 'du' meaning 'black' or 'dark'. 'The dark river' is a not uncommon description of Lakeland waters, but, at present, the etymology must remain rather doubtful. |
| Dungeon Gill |
The name may come from association with the French or M.E. word 'donjon' implying a dark, subterranean place or even a cavern. In her Journals, Dorothy Wordsworth refers to 'those fissures or caverns which in the language of the country are called dungeons'. The true meaning of the O.N. gil is a narrow ravine. |
| River Eamont |
The meeting place of the rivers. O.E. ea + O.E. (ge)mot. The junction of the Rivers Lowther and Eamont was once a meeting place of some importance as may be inferred from the nearby ancient monuments of Mayburgh, King Arthur's Table, the Roman fort of Brocavum and, if we are to believe the old legend, it was here that King Athelstan of Wessex, King Constantine of Scotland and King Owain of Cumbria met in 926 to resolve their differences. Eamotum 926. |
| River Ehen |
This is probably a British river-name related to the Welsh 'iain' = cold. 'The cold river'. |
| River Esk | This is probably the British river-name 'Isca', similar to the River Exe in Devon and derived from the same root as the Welsh 'esk', water. |
| Gasgale Gill |
The stream or ravine where the goat huts are found. O.N. geit + O.N. skáli + O.N. gil. |
| River Glenderamackin |
Etymology doubtful. The first element is probably Welsh 'glyndwfr', a river valley; the second element may be a superfluous O.N. 'á', a river; the last could be a Welsh word 'mochyn', meaning 'swine'. This would give 'The river valley where the swine live'. It may be relevant to note that for much of its course the Glenderamackin flows through Mungrisdale, a name with the same meaning but of Norse derivation. |
| Grains Gill |
The shieling which stands where the valleys fork. The 'fork' is near Stockley Bridge where Grains Gill and Styhead Gill meet. O.N. grein + O.N. skáli |
| Greenup Gill |
The stream in the green valley. O.E. grëne + O.E. höp + O.N. gil. Grenehope c.1211. |
| River Greta |
The rocky river. A Norwegian river, the Gryte, has the same meaning. O.N. grjót + O.N. á. |
| River Irt | No entirely satisfactory explanation of this name has yet been put forward as some doubt still surrounds the suggestion that it may be derived from the Welsh 'ir' meaning 'fresh' or 'green'. |
| River Kent |
This is probably a British river-name based on the word 'cunetio' or 'cunetju' indicating that the Kent was a sacred river. Kenet 1246. |
| Launchy Gill |
Launchy is a diminutive of the name Launceld or Lawrence. O.N. gil. |
| River Leven |
The smoothly-flowing river. This is probably a British river-name derived from a root similar to the Welsh 'llyfyn', smooth. Leuena c.1160. |
| River Liza |
The shining river. O.N. ljós + O.N. á. Lesar 1292. |
| River Lowther |
The foaming river. O.N. lauthr + O.N. á. Lauther 1157. |
| Measand Beck |
The outfall of this beck once formed a boggy delta which almost cut Hawes Water into two separate lakes known as High Water and Low Water, but this was submerged with the construction of the reservoir dam and the raising of the lake. O.E. mëos + sand; a marshy sand-bank. |
| River Mite |
An obscure name probably of British origin and based on a root such as 'meigh' meaning 'to urinate' or 'to drizzle' and so related to O.E. migan, O.N. miga and Latin mingere. The inspiration for such a name is open to speculation. |
| Naddle Beck |
The stream in the wedge-shaped valley. O.N. naddr + O.N. dalr + O.N. bekkr. Naddale 1303. |
| River Rothay |
The trout river. O.N. rauthi + O.N. á. O.N. Rauthi literally means 'the red one' and it is possible that this was applied to the river-trout, a linguistic probability given colour by the well established tradition that all the char from Lake Windermere go up the River Brathay while all the trout go up the Rothay. Routha 1275. |
| Routen Beck |
The roaring stream. O.N.rauten + O.N. bekkr. Rutenbec 1195. |
| Roughten Gill | As above + O.N gil. |
| Smithy Beck |
The stream by the forge. An ancient smelting hearth is nearby. |
| Sourmilk Gill |
Several Lakeland becks bear this name and it seems likely that it is a direct description of the white foam which is characteristic of these rapid and rocky mountain streams. The Sourmilk Gill in Easedale is referred to by Dorothy Wordsworth as Churnmilk Force. |
| River Sprint |
The gushing river. O.N. spretta. Spret c.1195. The 'n' was probably added by association with the nearby rivers Kent and Mint. |
| Stockghyll |
O.N. stokkr literally means 'a tree stump' and O.N. gil literally means 'a narrow ravine', but our word 'stock', derived from 'stokkr', is also used of a mill and we know that from the early Middle Ages a fulling mill existed in this valley. It is possible for Stockghyll to mean either 'a wooded ravine' or 'the ravine with the fulling mill'. The spelling 'Ghyll' dates from the late 18th century and is incorrect. 'Gill' derives directly from O.N. 'gil'. |
| Taylorgill Force |
The waterfall in Taylor's ravine. The family of William Taylor is referred to in the Crosthwaite Parish Register for 1718 and it seems probable that the stream and the waterfall were named after him. O.N. gil + O.N. fors. |