The settlement was founded in 1873 and was originally called Moatown. The name was then changed to Milton, before ultimately being renamed to Inglewood in 1875 to avoid confusion with
Milton in the
South Island. The railway reached Inglewood in 1877, connecting it with
New Plymouth as part of the first extension of what is now the
Marton–New Plymouth line. Until 1991, Inglewood was home to the Moa-Nui Co-operative Dairies factory (which was the fourth largest dairy factory in New Zealand) before it was shut down in favour of centralised processing near
Hāwera. From 1949 until the late 1980s, Inglewood was home to
Fun Ho! Toys, a manufacturer of collectible die cast metal toys and one of New Zealand's largest toy companies. The factory shut down in 1987 but a museum in the town still exists with over 3000 toys on display. Despite its small population, the town has gained notoriety from a string of violent crimes which tend toward the gruesome, The Shoe Store Building on the corner of Rata and Richmond Streets and the band rotunda on the corner of Rata and Moa Streets are listed as Category II.
Marae Te Kōhanga Moa Marae is located in Inglewood. It features the Matamua meeting house, and is affiliated with the
Te Āti Awa hapū of
Pukerangiora. In October 2020, the Government committed $817,845 from the
Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade it and
Muru Raupatu marae, creating 15 jobs. ==Demographics==