Type
Valley
Area of origin
NW England
Area of use
NW England
A narrow, steep-sided (natural) trench with a brook at the bottom. Typically only tens of feet deep and wide. Similar to a clough, but on lower, flatter ground rather than on moorland. [S.R.]
Etymology
Anglo-Saxon origin.
Some place names show a corruption of “adur” to “ather” e.g. Atherton.
Example locations
Entry contributors:
Simon Rookyard