Willoughby, Lincolnshire
Encyclopedia
Willoughby is a village in the East Lindsey
district of Lincolnshire
, England, on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds
. It lies within the civil parish
of Willoughby with Sloothby, and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the town of Alford
. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Sloothby and Hasthorpe.
, The Willoughby Arms. A mobile fish and chip
shop visits the village weekly. A small church of England
school currently holds about seventy pupils and about five teachers.
and dairy. Changing demographics, and the loss of the railway line and station which linked the village with the county, caused the decline of these businesses.
To the rear of Tavern Way is a field containing a scheduled ancient monument: a Mediæval earthwork
of an unknown date.
, one of the leaders of the Virginia Colony in North America
. He was born and bred in the village, having been christened at St Helena's Church. He lived in a still-existing cottage along a village lane. On the anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement
, hundreds of Americans
come to the village to see where Smith lived.
Smith was connected to the American Indian
girl Pocahontas
, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan
confederacy of tribes. Smith met her when settling Jamestown in the 17th century. There have been many fictional presentations of their encounter and surrounding events, including the Disney animated film Pocahontas
.
. The older main building was recently renovated. In the 1980s a new hall and extension were constructed, and in the 1990s and 2000s further improvements were carried out. Another village house, in the grounds of the church, was the rectory. The village school was opened in 1948.
(a line from Peterborough
to Grimsby
). After it closed in 1970, villagers have had to depend on motor vehicle travel. Willoughby railway station
was also the point where the Mablethorpe
line began. There are a few daily buses operated by the Lincolnshire bus company Translinc and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
. The original platform, former line and station houses still exist.
Three locally run school-bus services run through the week to the local town of Alford
. The village is close to the coast, with Skegness
12 miles (19.3 km) away and Chapel St Leonards 7 miles (11.3 km). There are three main roads which run through the village: Church Road, Station Road, and Hanby Lane.
. The parish publishes a monthly magazine, Wold & Marsh, given free of charge to all residents. The Reverend of the Willoughby Parish of Churches is Daffyd Robinson.
The Village Hall and Green sponsor numerous events throughout the year, including the Garden Competition run by the Willoughby Garden Club, the annual Summer Fayre, and a Christmas dinner. People can also hold events there for private parties. A Bowls Club in the village meets weekly, and players are free to use it whenever they please. The bowling green is situated near the Village Hall.
The playing field is another feature of the village, hosting the annual school sports day and many other functions. Many locals use the recently installed play equipment. Near the playing field are garden allotments cultivated by villagers.
East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
district of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England, on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
. It lies within the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Willoughby with Sloothby, and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the town of Alford
Alford, Lincolnshire
- Notable residents :* Captain John Smith who lived in nearby Willoughby* Anne Hutchinson, pioneer settler and religious reformer in the United States* Thomas Paine, who was an excise officer in the town....
. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Sloothby and Hasthorpe.
Facilities
At present there is one shop-cum-petrol station selling convenience goods, a former blacksmiths shop that sells and repairs gardening equipment, and a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Willoughby Arms. A mobile fish and chip
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shop visits the village weekly. A small church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
school currently holds about seventy pupils and about five teachers.
History
The village was in the past larger with more services, including a butchers, post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and dairy. Changing demographics, and the loss of the railway line and station which linked the village with the county, caused the decline of these businesses.
To the rear of Tavern Way is a field containing a scheduled ancient monument: a Mediæval earthwork
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
of an unknown date.
Captain John Smith
The most notable person to have come from Willoughby is John SmithJohn Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
, one of the leaders of the Virginia Colony in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. He was born and bred in the village, having been christened at St Helena's Church. He lived in a still-existing cottage along a village lane. On the anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, hundreds of Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
come to the village to see where Smith lived.
Smith was connected to the American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
girl Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan
Powhatan
The Powhatan is the name of a Virginia Indian confederation of tribes. It is estimated that there were about 14,000–21,000 of these native Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607...
confederacy of tribes. Smith met her when settling Jamestown in the 17th century. There have been many fictional presentations of their encounter and surrounding events, including the Disney animated film Pocahontas
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
.
Architecture
Although several new houses have been built in the village, such as those on Tavern Way and John Smith Close, the village has seen little growth. Newer houses have been built to the west of the village on the old grounds of the tavern. Older houses are in the east of the village near the church. A large manor house is at the eastern edge of the village toward BonthorpeBonthorpe
Bonthorpe is a hamlet in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 1 mile north-east from Willoughby....
. The older main building was recently renovated. In the 1980s a new hall and extension were constructed, and in the 1990s and 2000s further improvements were carried out. Another village house, in the grounds of the church, was the rectory. The village school was opened in 1948.
Agriculture
Willoughby has two main farms, one on the Clover Industrial Estate, the other on Hanby Lane opposite the petrol station. Both farms have wide field access, and pasture sheep in the summer months. Most fields in the immediate area around Willoughby are owned and managed by Willoughby Farms.Transport
In 1848 the village was connected to the county by the East Lincolnshire RailwayEast Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
(a line from Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
to Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
). After it closed in 1970, villagers have had to depend on motor vehicle travel. Willoughby railway station
Willoughby railway station
Willoughby was a railway station on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the village of Willoughby in Lincolnshire between 1848 and 1970. In 1886, a second larger station replaced the first following the opening of a junction with the Mablethorpe Loop Line to and later...
was also the point where the Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is a small seaside town in East Lindsey on the coast of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Several small caravan parks exist around Mablethorpe. The town is administered with Sutton-on-Sea and Trusthorpe, as the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton...
line began. There are a few daily buses operated by the Lincolnshire bus company Translinc and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
Stagecoach Lincolnshire is a bus company, formerly known as Lincolnshire RoadCar, which runs services throughout Lincolnshire.Stagecoach in Lincolnshire is the trading name of the Lincolnshire RoadCar Company Limited, which is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and part of its East Midlands...
. The original platform, former line and station houses still exist.
Three locally run school-bus services run through the week to the local town of Alford
Alford, Lincolnshire
- Notable residents :* Captain John Smith who lived in nearby Willoughby* Anne Hutchinson, pioneer settler and religious reformer in the United States* Thomas Paine, who was an excise officer in the town....
. The village is close to the coast, with Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
12 miles (19.3 km) away and Chapel St Leonards 7 miles (11.3 km). There are three main roads which run through the village: Church Road, Station Road, and Hanby Lane.
Community and events
The village community life is oriented around the church. Most residents attend Sunday service and many use it for weddings, funerals and baptisms. St. Helen's Church is one of many in the local parish. The rural parish stretches as far as Chapel St LeonardsChapel St Leonards
Chapel St. Leonards is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, situated to the north of the resort of Skegness....
. The parish publishes a monthly magazine, Wold & Marsh, given free of charge to all residents. The Reverend of the Willoughby Parish of Churches is Daffyd Robinson.
The Village Hall and Green sponsor numerous events throughout the year, including the Garden Competition run by the Willoughby Garden Club, the annual Summer Fayre, and a Christmas dinner. People can also hold events there for private parties. A Bowls Club in the village meets weekly, and players are free to use it whenever they please. The bowling green is situated near the Village Hall.
The playing field is another feature of the village, hosting the annual school sports day and many other functions. Many locals use the recently installed play equipment. Near the playing field are garden allotments cultivated by villagers.
Future
There are no plans for any new bungalows or houses or to be built in the village. The most recent development was a group of new flats for the elderly on Station Road. Given local concerns about infrastructure and lack of suitable land, this is likely to be one of the last new structures to be built in the village for the foreseeable future.External links
- "Welcome to Willoughby Lincs", Willoughby Group of Parishes. Retrieved 13 August 2011