Sike, Syke

Type

River

Area of origin

N England

Area of use

N England

Related terms

Cleuch, Cleugh, Rill, Fèith

A small stream or ditch – the uppermost section of a water course draining from the moor. Nothing feeds into a sike, there’s never a bridge and you can always leap across one.
Frequently flows into a Burn, which then might pass through a Cleugh. [R.S.]

Very small stream like one trickling from a pool or marsh. Not a stream as such more like a large gutter. [K.E.]

Etymology

Anglo-Saxon

Possibly Iceland [K.E.]

Example locations

  • Bluehemmel Sike / Saughy SIke
    Northumberland
  • Foulbog Sike
    Northumberland
  • Rushy Sike
    Northumberland

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Entry contributors:

Rob Say, K. Elms