Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

Ogden Kirk, 1843 O.S., v. kirkja 'church', here applied, not to an ecclesiastical building, but, as in Half Kirk 55supra or Maiden Kirk (Hazlewood) pt. v, to an ancient stone circle or some similar remains; Sunken Kirk Cu 417 (Chappell Suke 1624, Sunken Kirks 1794) was the name of a submerged stone circle, and Kirkstones Cu 449 of an ancient monument of 30 stones. Ponden Kirk 270infra denotes a deep hollow at the head of a valley. In Sir Gawayn 2195 ff, the Green Chapel, which from its description resembled an ancient chambered burial tumulus, was called a chapel of meschaunce …þe corsedest kirk , where the Green Knight might make his devotion in the Devil's manner; it would seem that some such element of medieval folk-lore lies behind this use of kirk for prehistoric remains.