The toponym was first recorded in the 12th century in the form
Northihaia, derived from the
Old English north and
gehæg, meaning "northern enclosure". Northway was granted to
Tewkesbury Abbey in 1107, and in the Middle Ages Northway was part of the parish of Tewkesbury, but after the
dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century became part of the parish of
Ashchurch. Until the 20th century Northway remained a small hamlet. During the
Second World War the
Dowty Group established a factory in old railway buildings at Northway, and after the war a large housing estate was built north of the works on the site of a war-time camp. More development took place during the 1960s. The residential area lies south-west of the original hamlet. == References ==