Walworth Gate

Walworth Gate is a hamlet and crossroads village in the borough of Darlington, in the civil parish of Walworth and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) north−west of the edge of Darlington and 0.6 miles (0.97 km) north of Walworth. The settlement is locally notable for New Moor Farm, which is known to Darlington people as a producer of ice cream. The Saxon origin of the name, "Walworth Gate", refers to Welsh−speaking Britons who once lived there.[1]

Walworth Gate
Walworth Gate
Walworth Gate Location within County Durham
OS grid reference	NZ234201
Unitary authority	Darlington
Ceremonial county	County Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Darlington
Postcode district	DL2
Dialling code	01325
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Sedgefield

Geography

The hamlet used to be part of Heighington parish, but today it is part of the civil parish of Walworth.[2] It consists of a few dwellings at the crossroads of Back Lane and Walworth Road, together with the outlying Cowfold Farm, Throstle Nest and Grimshaw Cottage. Swan House Farm and New Moor Farm may be considered to be associated with either Walworth Gate or Walworth, as these farms are equidistant from both settlements. Walworth Gate has a two−hourly number 97 bus service from Darlington,[3] a service which began in 2001.[4]

History

Grimshaw Cottage

The origin of the name, Walworth Gate, is made up of three elements. "Wal" was the Saxon term for the Wealas, or Welsh−speaking Britons, although to the Saxons themselves it just meant "foreign language". A worth was an enclosure, and "gate" comes from Old English gat, or roadway. The worth could be the enclosure at the nearby Walworth lost settlement, and the gat could be the road to Walworth. This would be the original line of the Roman road, Dere Street, which is thought to have passed through Walworth Gate and Walworth on its route between the Roman forts at Piercebridge and Binchester.[5][6] At some time before 1852 there was a smithy on the eastern corner of the crossroads.[7] Only one man, Jacob Grainger, in Walworth Gate was eligible to vote in 1868–1869.[8]

New Moor Farm

New Moor Farm, run by John Archer and his father Robert,[9][10] previously kept Holstein Friesians but the herd was lost in the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis.[11][12][13] Today it is run by John and Susan Archer and is known in Darlington for its Archers ice cream which has been made on the premises in two converted garages and an old forge since 2004 using 4% of the milk from the Jersey herd of 330 cows.[9][10][14][15] The cattle are descendants from three herds in Cornwall, Hampshire and Jersey.[16] In summer 2005 an ice cream parlour was opened at the farm, and that Christmas it offered Christmas pudding ice cream.[15] In 2005 the farm sold 4,000 litres (880 imp gal) of ice cream, and the following year it sold 8,000 litres (1,800 imp gal). In 2006 the farm had a milk quota of 1,500,000 litres (330,000 imp gal) and it was processed by Acorn Dairy at Archdeacon Newton.[17] In 2007 the farm supplied 90 litres of milk a day to Flamingoland to feed a new−born Rothschild giraffe which had been rejected by its mother.[18] New Moor Farm was one of the farms which took part in the fourth annual Open Farm Sunday in May 2008.[19] In 2008 the farm opened another ice cream parlour at The Station in Richmond.[20] In 2009 the ice cream received the Taste of the North−East of England accreditation in the 2009 North−East England Tourism Awards. In 2010 a second business, Newmoor Veal, was started because the herd produces 150 male calves a year, many of which would previously be shot at birth because they are considered unsuitable for beef production. The new production company allows the veal calves to be suckled by their mothers and to live for seven months.[10]

Walworth Gate today

Swan House Farm

Sport and gardening

Lorna Herron won one of the Area Number One gardening prizes for her garden in the hamlet in 2001.[21] Because of its crossroads, Walworth Gate regularly finds itself on local cycling routes; for example the Darlington Freewheelers ride through it.[22] In 2005 and 2006 the crossroads was on three of the cycling routes organised for the Bike It project and Darlington Bike Week.[23][24][25] In 2008 the hamlet was on the route of Darlington Rotary Club's Quaker Triathlon charity event.[26]

Crime

In 2003 a quad bike was stolen from premises in Walworth Gate.[27] In 2006 some residents in the hamlet were targeted by two men, pretending to be water board officials, who allegedly attempted to gain entry to dwellings with the intent to rob.[28] In 2007 two joyriders were arrested in Walworth Gate after allegedly crashing one vehicle, attempting to steal another and trying to evade arrest.[29]

Sunflower maze at New Moor Farm, 2006

References

1. Simpson, David (2009). "Roots of the region". Place-Name Meanings T to Y: Walworth (County Durham). Retrieved 15 April 2010.
2. "Keys to the past". Local History: Heighington (County Durham). DBC. 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
3. "The Northern Echo". Changes to bus services start. Newsquest Media Group. 2 July 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
4. "The Northern Echo". Bus service launched to serve villages. Newsquest Media Group. 27 October 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
5. "Keys to the past". Walworth, Walworth Gate; Roman road. (Walworth), Site 1. DBC. 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
6. "Keys to the past". Walworth, Walworth Gate; Roman road. (Walworth), Site 2. DBC. 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
7. "Keys to the past". Walworth Gate; Smithy (Walworth). DBC. 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
8. Council, Durham (England : County) (1869). Register of voters for the southern division of the county of Durham, 1868-9. T. Reed [for R.L. Pemberton]. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
9. "The Northern Echo". Cold comfort farm. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
10. Bridgen, Mike (22 January 2010). "The Northern Echo". Dairy farm launches veal meat business. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
11. "The Northern Echo". Hope for crisis end as D zones are lifted. Newsquest Media Group. 4 July 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
12. "The Northern Echo". More restrictions lifted. Newsquest Media Group. 3 July 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
13. "The Northern Echo". Fiction with more than ring of truth for Jessica. Newsquest Media Group. 21 June 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
14. "Archers Jersey ice cream". The History of the Farm. Archers. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
15. "The Northern Echo". The yearly ritual of returns. Newsquest Media Group. 23 December 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
16. "Archers Jersey ice cream". The Jersey herd. Archers. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
17. "The Northern Echo". Wanted: Tasty new ideas for parlour. Newsquest Media Group. 1 December 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
18. "The Northern Echo". Growing up fast on milk diet. Newsquest Media Group. 14 May 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
19. Bridgen, Mike (26 May 2008). "The Northern Echo". Hundreds expected to join farmers for annual open day. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
20. "Archers Jersey Ice Cream". The Station. Archers. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
21. "The Northern Echo". And some fell on stony ground, and blossomed. Newsquest Media Group. 17 August 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
22. "The Northern Echo". News in brief: Recognition for credit union. Newsquest Media Group. 8 July 2002. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
23. "The Northern Echo". Pedal power is the way forward. Newsquest Media Group. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
24. "The Northern Echo". Schools turn their thoughts to pedal power. Newsquest Media Group. 3 April 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
25. "The Northern Echo". Guided rides offered in cycling week. Newsquest Media Group. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
26. "The Northern Echo". Triathlon group aims to raise £4,000 at event. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
27. "The Northern Echo". News in brief: Police seek attack clues. Newsquest Media Group. 23 September 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
28. "The Northern Echo". Bogus workers targeting elderly. Newsquest Media Group. 19 September 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
29. Amos, Owen (6 November 2007). "The Northern Echo". Four arrested after stolen car overturns. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 15 April 2010.

External links

• Map of Walworth Gate