Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Magna Alda, parva Alda 13 Drax9d 1323 YDx

• Haalda, pratum qui vocatur Bynalda 13 Drax10,11d

• Aldaye, Aldey 1536 MinAcct

• (Little) North Order, Order Lane Close 1840 TA135

Etymology

This means 'old river', v. ald , ēa . The TA form Order is, like the modern form, an attempt to represent the local dial. pronunciation [ˈɔ:də]. There are several instances of this name for old courses of the Aire (cf. Old Ea , etc. (RNs.), Old Ea, Old Eye ii, 57, 60 supra , Old Hee ii, 20, Old Ee 120, Dead Eye vi, 28, 76). In this instance this former channel of the Aire first flowed northwards on the boundary between Newland and Carlton (97–6723) and then between Carlton and Drax to Hawday Lane, east along the lane (6825), on the south of which are the fields North Order and Little Order (TA fields 420, 1130–1) and on the north Order Lane Close (TA field 424); it presumably turned north and swung round Scurff Hall and ran into the Ouse in the neighbourhood of Rusholme (6926). It cut off Newland 14infra from the rest of the parish. This old channel of the Aire, after it was no longer navigable, may have been the course along which boats were dragged, and accounts for the name of Drax (supra ). v. also R. Aire (RNs.).