River Tove
Encyclopedia
The River Tove is a river
in England, a tributary
of the River Great Ouse
. Rising in Northamptonshire
, it flows for around 15 miles past the town of Towcester
(which means 'camp on the Tove') before meeting the Ouse near Milton Keynes
. Its final 5 miles form part of the border between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire
, running alongside the Grand Union Canal
. The river ultimately flows into the North Sea
.
, which is named for the River Tove, is Tófe-ceaster, suggesting (since ceaster comes from the Latin castra, meaning "camp") that the Old English name for the Tove was some form of Tófe. Bosworth and Toller
give the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa
for comparison. Tófa, in turn, is a shortened form of Thorfrithr, meaning "beautiful Thor
" or "peace of Thor."
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in England, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
. Rising in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, it flows for around 15 miles past the town of Towcester
Towcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
(which means 'camp on the Tove') before meeting the Ouse near Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
. Its final 5 miles form part of the border between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, running alongside the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
. The river ultimately flows into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
Etymology
The Old English name of TowcesterTowcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
, which is named for the River Tove, is Tófe-ceaster, suggesting (since ceaster comes from the Latin castra, meaning "camp") that the Old English name for the Tove was some form of Tófe. Bosworth and Toller
An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary is a dictionary of Old English, a language that was previously known as Anglo-Saxon. Four editions of the dictionary were published. It has often been considered the definitive lexicon for Old English...
give the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa
Tofa (Poetic Edda)
Tófa is the wife of Angantyr and mother of Hervor, in Hervararkviða, a poem from the Poetic Edda which is part of the Tyrfing Cycle.-In the Poetic Edda:She is mentioned only once, in Hervor's appeal to Angantyr:...
for comparison. Tófa, in turn, is a shortened form of Thorfrithr, meaning "beautiful Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
" or "peace of Thor."