Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Kirkestanes 1220,1401 Furn

• Kirkestaines 1251 ib

• Cirkestanes 1307 YI

Etymology

Kirkstones (lost), Kirkestanes 1220, 1401 Furn, Kirkestaines 1251 ib, Cirkestanes 1307 YI. 'Church stones', v. kirkja , stān , steinn . It is a point in two lists of bounds, the first in 1307 YI (Burton in Lonsdale) where it is between the boundary of Dent (infra ) and Cold Keld in Horton, the second in 1401 Furn (Ingleborough) where it is somewhere between Whernside and Haws Ho near Cravens Wath (f.n. infra ). It was therefore in the north of the parish and since there is no church there kirkja must refer either to Furness Abbey (which had lands here) or, in a transferred sense similar to that in Ogden Kirk iii, 115supra , to some prehistoric cairn.