Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Kirkestain a.1184 Bart 13 CWxviii,151

• Kyrkestone 16 Kendii,8

• Kirkstone 1793 WestM

• Kirkstone Yeat 1630 Ambls

• - 1671 Fleming

• the Rayse of Kyrkestone 16 Kendii,8

Etymology

Kirk Stone, Kirkstone Pass, Kirkestain a. 1184 Bart 337 (Lowth ), 13 CW xviii, 151, Kyrkestone 16 Kend ii, 8, Kirkstone 1793 WestM, (Kirkstone Yeat ) 1630 Ambls 11, ('a pass called-') 1671 Fleming, cf. also Kirkstone Hill in Ambleside (i, 183supra ) on the other side of the pass, which carries the Ambleside-Penrith road (magna via Kirkestain 13 CW xviii, 151) over the mountains (v. geat 'gap, gorge'). The name refers to 'some remarkable stones near the gorge of the pass, called High-cross ' (1793 West 161, High-trough in the first edition of 1778), and these are also known as the Rayse of Kyrkestone 16 Kend ii, 8 (v. hreysi 'cairn'); Mr Bruce Thompson points out that a burial was found when the inn was built in 1840. Kirk Stone means 'church stone' (v. kirkja , steinn ); kirk is often used of cairns, ancient stone remains, etc., presumably because they were thought of as the debris of former churches, cf. Grasslick , Gregory Chapel, Kirk steeds (i, 36, ii, 16, 87 supra ), Towtop Kirk (ii, 192supra ), Ogden Kirk (YW iii, 115), Sunken Kirk, Kirkstones (Cu 417, 449).In Iceland names like Alfakirkja and Tröllakirkja embody the folklore of elves and trolls having their own churches (LaxdON 125).