River Tove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River Tove |
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From Ox Bridge near Abthorpe
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The River Tove is a river in England. It is a smaller river that flows into the much larger River Great Ouse. The River Tove starts in Northamptonshire, about one mile (1.6 km) north of Greatworth.
It flows for about 15 miles (24 km) past the north and east sides of the town of Towcester. The name Towcester actually means 'camp on the Tove', showing how important the river was to the town. The Tove then joins the River Great Ouse south-east of Cosgrove, just north of Milton Keynes. The last 5 miles (8 km) of the River Tove form part of the border between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. This part of the river runs right next to the Grand Union Canal. Eventually, the water from the River Tove travels all the way to the North Sea.
The Story Behind the River Tove's Name
The town of Towcester is named after the River Tove. In old English, Towcester was called Tófe-ceaster. The word ceaster comes from the Latin word castra, which means "camp." So, Tófe-ceaster meant "camp on the Tófe."
This suggests that the old English name for the river was some form of Tófe. Experts who study old words have found similar names in ancient Scandinavian languages, like Tófi and Tófa. The name Tófa is a shorter version of Thorfrithr. This old Norse name means "beautiful Thor" or "peace of Thor." So, the river's name might have a connection to these old meanings.
