The village of Nottage is older than both Porthcawl and Newton. Thought to be of Saxon origin, its original name was Llanddewi, which translates as 'the enclosure around the Church of St David'. This early church was located beside the present Rose and Crown pub. Its graveyard was probably at the site of the village green, where human remains have been found. After the building of St Johns in 1190, community life centred around Newton. The ecclesiastical parish of Newton Nottage was formed before 1300, and the old church of Nottage fell out of use, last being mentioned in a manorial roll from 1630 (though accounts are at variance as to whether it was still functional).
