Whitegates, as shown above in a photograph believed to date from 1910, is of considerable antiquity. The first written mention of the name is in the census returns of 1881, but the estate maps of 1723 show a double cottage on the same site. As a building it probably has foundations which date to the mid 17^th century.

Its location beside the stream and right angled construction possibly indicate that it was originally a water mill. The grindstone, which is set in the wall in the 20th century, was found in the garden and supports the possibility.

A water mill is described in the early documents, unfortunately without any location given. The estate map of 1723 shows the two cottages as above but also shows a small square building on the other side of the lane close to where the bridge over Moreton Morell Lane is. This other building may have been the mill and Whitegates the millers’ house, or both could have been mills at different times.

It is also possible that the mill was a fulling mill, used in the treatment of wool. The mention of the water mill is concurrent with the area of the "Old Enclosure", an area of about 500 acres around the village, being turned over to sheep. This could have led to the construction of an estate fulling mill which would have fallen into disuse when the farms reverted to mixed farming in the 1820’s.

In 1881 the census return shows that two branches of the Humphriss family were living at Whitegates. One family comprising John, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Elizabeth and the other family, possibly the son of John and Elizabeth, comprising Amos, a Lighthorne born woodmans labourer and his wife Elizabeth from Kingsbridge in Devon. They had two children, Marjorie and Raymond.

The Census of 1851 does not give the house names but John and Elizabeth are recorded and are shown to have had five children at that time.

By 1891Amos and Elizabeth are shown as having five children living with them at Whitegates. William Josephs, a groom from Hereford and his wife Gertrude from Cologne in Germany occupied the other cottage.

The following extract from the workbook of George Humphriss dated 15^th, 16th and 17^th November 1905 shows that a new well was quoined.

The property was offered for sale by auction with other still unsold portions of the Verney estate on the 24^th June 1930. The auction was held at the bath Hotel Leamington Spa and was handled by Wright Hassel Solicitors and James Styles and Whitlock, Auctioneers. The pencil entry alongside the description (not clear on the copy) indicates that A. Humphries, the tenant, purchased the lot for £200, less than five years rental.