On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 21:01:23 -0000, Martin Underwood wrote:

Doesn't explain about the gate, though!

This does: http://www.cowandgate.co.uk/en/article.asp?chco_id=6356

Company History
Cow & Gate started in 1771 as a small grocery shop in Guildford at
Number 20 High Street, owned by the Gates family. In 1887, the two
brothers Charles and Leonard Gates decided to expand into the dairy
trade, and opened up a new business called The West Surrey Central
Dairy. To ensure supplies of the best quality milk, they built their own
creameries in the West of England, and also in Ireland, where Cow & Gate
infant formula milks are still produced today. Their best-selling
product was fresh cream. This was sold in distinctive little brown jugs,
with a label showing a cow looking through a gate. Among their customers
were members of the Royal family, including Queen Victoria, the Prince
of Wales, and the Duke of York. The label became famous, and it soon
became known as 'Cow & Gate' cream.

(As to why I went to the trouble of finding that, what can I say? I have
a lot of time on my hands since finishing the map )

Paul