Newport is mentioned in Domesday in 1086, but probably originated around 900 AD as a royal township. It flourished until its market moved to Saffron Walden in 1141 and then became a mainly agricultural village, with trades including leather and wool combing. There were two religious guilds in Newport and a guildhall stood on the site of the present Church House. After the dissolution of the guilds in 1540 the Guildhall site served as the first premises of Newport Free Grammar School until its demolition in 1838. The church of St Mary the Virgin originates from the early C13th, but contains grave covers re-used as roofing confirmed as C12th. Recent research indicates that some of the structure may even be C11th and there is a late Saxon cross fragment in the north wall.
Charles II came to Newport on his way to Newmarket and his mistress Nell Gwynn may have lived at the Crown House on Bridge End. The main road through Newport was improved as a turnpike in 1744 and the railway in 1845 brought new businesses, including a gas works and maltings. Housing development in the second half of the C20th doubled the size of Newport, bringing a new school, GP surgery and sewage works. With its station and secondary school, Newport retained many shops, pubs, businesses and village organisations, but the livestock farms were demolished or
converted, and fields and orchards built on.
If you would like to share the pride and pleasure that residents, businesses, friends and family have for Newport then please join Newport Local History Group. Their Facebook page is Newport Local History Group. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month throughout autumn and spring in Church House and occasional visits are also organised.
Information about the Group’s activities is published in each issue of Newport News (for back issues please click on the following link: Newport News.org.uk).
More details are available from the Secretary, Bob Goldsmith, b.goldy@btinternet.com.