English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Levens Force

Early-attested site in the Parish of Heversham

Historical Forms

  • la (le, the) Force 1256 Ass2 1592 Kendi,160 1612 Comm
  • (le) Fors 1274 Ipm 1297 Pat 1323,1345 Ipm 1511 Kendi,151
  • del Forsce 1375 Ipm
  • Levins Force 1777 NB

Etymology

Levens Force, la (le , the ) Force 1256Ass 2(p), 1592 Kend i, 160, 1612Comm , (le ) Fors 1274 Ipm, 1297 Pat, 1323, 1345 Ipmet freq to 1511 Kend i, 151, 'fishery del Forsce ' 1375 Ipm, Levins Force 1777 NB 207. v. fors 'waterfall'. Most of the references are to the important medieval fishery; in season large numbers of salmon are to be found in the pool at the foot of this fine waterfall, waiting to leap to the higher waters of the Kent.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site