Willoughy-by-Walesby was once the main village within the parish of Walesby. It was a Saxon settlement mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Wilgebi’. The village was situated about 400 metres to the east of the current village of Walesby close to the beck that bisected the 2 settlements. The name. which means ‘dwelling by the willows’ was taken from the willows that grew in the area.
We lnow little about its history or inhabitants. The soils is of a clay content which may have meant the village was wetter than Walesby which mostly has a sand-based soil meaning it drains better and a more dry environment to live in. A slow migration to the drier land ensued over the years until Willoughby became deserted.
Today, the name is retained by the 2 farms that lie either side of the road that leaves Walesby to the villages of Milton, Tuxford and Kirton. As can be seen from the Google Earth image below, the earthwork remains of the trackways and platforms the houses stood on can be seen in the field to the south of the farm buildings. The other picitures were taken from the road where you can just see the earthwork remains of the village in the field.
If you have any further information regarding Willoughby and its history, please contact us so we can add it to this web site.