subject: Living In The Moorland Village Of Tosside By The Yorkshire Dales [print this page] The village of Tosside is uniqueThe village of Tosside is unique. The reason for this is that it straddles the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Once a totally Yorkshire village, it changed status in the 1970s and now the eastern part of the village is in North Yorkshire whilst the western half lies in Lancashire. A small community, it is well connected to towns and villages in both counties.
The name of Tosside is thought to come from the name Tod-Set, which is of Anglo Saxon origin. Tod means fox whilst Set means moorland so Tod Set denotes the moorland home of the fox. Over the years the name mutated to become Tosside. A small fox sits atop a fountain in the centre of the village providing a link back to the original name. The history of the name also gives us clues as to how long the area has been settled.
The village, whilst small, has a good community spirit. There is a church, a thriving community centre and a village pub The Dog and Partridge. The village is very attractive to visitors as it is close to some of the North's stunning scenery. The Yorkshire Dales National Park (a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) lies to the north of the village, this rightly famed area has moors, valleys and fells complete with other small, picturesque villages. To the south is the Ribble Valley leading to the Forest of Bowland, which is yet another designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Bowland forms part of the Pennines and shares many characteristics of the Yorkshire Dales. Also within Bowland and very close to Tosside is the Forest of Gisburne. Gisburne has some fantastic walking and biking trails. The proximity of these beautiful areas gives some idea of the countryside that surrounds Tosside.
There are several notable towns and villages within easy driving distance from Tosside. The nearest town is the old market town of Settle, which is approximately six miles from Tosside. The town can be found next to Britain's biggest limestone outcrop meaning that there are plenty of caves and cliffs to explore. Castleberg crag looms over the town but offers fantastic views of the town and surrounding area. Settle is also home to the Settle to Carlisle Steam Railway, which is a great tourist draw in the area, as is the popular Tuesday market.
Further from Tosside but within an easy drive is the town of Skipton. This town is regarded as the 'gateway to the Dales' and this very old town which is recorded in the Domesday Book lies amid some beautiful scenery. Skipton has excellent connections to some of the largest cities in the region including Preston and Liverpool west of the Pennines to Leeds on the east of the Pennines. Skipton and Settle are in Yorkshire but the market town of Clitheroe in Lancashire is also easily accessible from Tosside within 17 miles of the village. Both Skipton and Clitheroe offer shops, markets, schools and good transport links. Both towns also are of interest to tourists and offer accommodation and tourist services.
Tosside then, offers the best of everything from a small community but with ease of communication through its closeness to bigger communities, all set amid some of Britain's most beautiful countryside.
