English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Fossdale

Early-attested site in the Parish of Aysgarth

Historical Forms

  • Fossedale 1280 YI 1283 Rich
  • Foresdale 1301 LS
  • Forsdalethwayt 1307 Ch

Etymology

'Waterfall valley' v. fors , dalr , þveit . The earliest spelling is from the OWScand  assimilated type foss .