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The Vikings from Western Norway began raids into the Lake District in the eighth century.

Settlement by these warlike peoples resulted in the adoption of many Norse traditions & place names that are with us today .The use of drystone walls to divide holdings was one such method introduced by these Norsemen.

Norse place names are everywhere & none so famous as the "Fells" which derives from the Norwegian fjall or mountain.

Other examples handed down by the Vikings are becks from 'bekr', tarns from 'tjorn',dale from 'dalr' as well as gill (gorge), thorpe (hamlet) and thwaite (clearing). Lake district places & villages with names ending in -by were also first settled by the Vikings...johnby, ellonby, lamonby, moresby, asby, dovenby , ireby, parsonby, thursby et al.

The Viking influence was so strong in the Lake District that a Norse-English language was still spoken there until the 13th century .