Newdigate

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Newdigate is a village in the Mole Valley district of Surrey.

The village boasts a medieval Church (St Peters,) infant school, a village shop with sub post office and two Public Houses as well as many small businesses.

[edit] History

Within the parish four names are important - Newdigate, Ewood, Parkgate and Kingsland. The name Newdigate is probably derived from "on Ewood gate", i.e. on the road to Ewood, as Newdigate began as a road through the forest rather than a fixed settlement. Ewood (Yew Wood) was described from early times as a "park" i.e.an enclosure of the forest for the purpose of deer-hunting - the patent rolls of 1312 so mention it. This later gave rise to the name Parkgate, the "gate" by now meaning an entrance.

From the 1930's to the early 1980's Newdigate was home to the Schermuly Rocket Pistol Apparatus Ltd. company, manufacturer of devices for firing rescue lines to stricken ships.

The area is renowned for its clay soil and is the home to numerous brick manufacturers although the industry is in decline and the local brickwords is now a housing estate called Mulberry Place.