Todmorden Place-names

TODMORDEN means "Totta's boundary valley" in Old English, according to The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names. We wonder who Totta was and who lived on the other side of the boundary.

(Could "Totta" be another spelling of "Todder" or "Todda" from Cornholme School's story
"Todder and the Centurion")?

Other people have suggested that Todmorden means something else.

Luke says that "Todmorden" is derived from Tott-mer-den, "the valley of Totta's marsh". Luke says he has also heard that the name comes from two words for death, "Tod" and "Mor" making Todmorden mean Death-Death Wood! The other story he heard was that Todmorden is Old English for "marsh home of the fox"

Shonaleigh asked the class "Why the school was called Shade?"

The canal is very, very hard work round there with lots of locks and lots of bright sun. The bargees, as canal workers were called, often had to pull their boats through when the horses couldn't manage it. It was hot and exhausting work.
Just after Walsen, there is a bend, with a high cliff. A beautiful place to rest in the shade. Workers would say to each other "Meet you at the Shade."

Shonaleigh asked the children "What is the story of some of the place names in Todmorden?"

Here are the children's replies:

Libby says that Walsden comes from the olden days when there were lots of wolves around, so the area was originally called "Wolf's Den"."

"SHOEBROAD Lane leads to SHOEBROAD Farm, it was probably named ater the first owners occupation."

"I think DOGHOUSE Lane is where the old hunting dogs were kept."

"Bar Street is unusual because a bar is something at a pub."

HACKING Lane is unusual.

SQUARE Road is not really unusual but until 1790 it was called NIP Square and that is unusual.

SHEPPARDS REST might be where the shepherds rested.

BOBBIN MILL is called that because of the cotton factory.

DOBROYD means "Castle in the Woods".

SLACK BOTTOM, MEADOW BOTTOM, OSBOURNE PLACE

BRAMSCHE SQUARE, CALIFORNIA STREET and LUMBUTTS
are place names the children are still thinking about.