Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Whytegate 1540 Dugd

• Whitegate 1542 ib

• (altera) grangia de Whitegate 1540 Dugd

• vicaria de Whitegate 1542 VE

• parochia de Whitegate m16 AOMB397

• town & parish of Whitegate, rectory & church of Whitegate 1550 Pat

• Newechurch 1612 Orm2 1831 Bry

• parish of Whit(e)gate alias Newechurch 1612,1629 Orm2 1812 Sheaf

• Newchurch or Whitegate 1831 Bry

• Newchurch or Whitegate church or Whitechurch 1671 Sheaf

• Holdgore 1216–72 MainwB

Etymology

'The white gate', v. hwīt , geat , named from the outer gate of Vale Royal abbey, where the church was situated, cf. 164supra . The alternative names are 'new church' and 'white church', v. nīwe , hwīt , cirice , cf. Newchurch Common 183infra . The original structure was of wood and plaster, v. Sheaf3 31 (6914). The site of the gate itself is locum illud ubi nunc porta exterior que barra abbatie Wlgodr ' situatur 1338 VR 12, 'that place where now the outer gate or bar of the abbey, Wlgodr ', is situated', cf. þe Abbey-gate 1724 NotCestr, v. abbaye , geat . The unintelligible Wlgodr ' is identified in Barnes1 435 with Holdgore 1216–72 MainwB. Dr Barnes derives it from gor 'dirt, dung, filth', but the name is rather 'the old gore', v. ald , gāra .