Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bacschelf 1086 DB 1251 Ch

• Bacs(c)holf(e) 12 YDi 1304 Ch 1328 Banco 1343 MinAcct

• Bacsol(f) 1212–19 Puds

• Bacsolve 1285 KI

• Bakescolf 1316 Vill

• Bacshulf 1206–35 Cockers

• Bacskalf 1276 RH

• Baschell 1250 DodsN

• Basscholf l.14 Kirkst

• Bagsholf 1434 Pat

• Bax(h)all 1516 Ch 1566 FF

• Bas(s)hall 1562,1590 FF 1587 WillY 1641 Rates

• Bas(s)hall Eaues 1582 PRGis

• Bas(s)hall Eves 1584 WillY 1593 FF 1618 PRWd

• Bashawe 1591 WillY

• Bashull Eaves 1608 PRBlt

Etymology

The first el. is OE  bæc 'back, ridge' and clearly describes the long ridge on the south side of Bashall Brook extending from Backridge infra (which is another name of the same ridge) to Bashall Town.The second el. is OE  scelf 'a ledge, a shelving terrain', with the -scholf , -shulf spellings due to the influence of OE  scylf 'ledge of rock'. Bashall Eaves is a mile west on the slope of another hill; the affix 'Eaves' is OE  efes in the sense 'edge of a wood' (here no doubt Bowland Forest, as in Eaves Hall 194, Grindleton Eaves 196 and Waddington Eaves 200 infra ), or less probably 'brow or edge of a hill'.