Willingham St Mary
Encyclopedia
Willingham St Mary is a village and civil parish
in the English
county
of Suffolk
located about 3.5 miles (6 km) south of Beccles
along the A145
in the District of Waveney
. The village is joined with Shadingfield
and 1.5 miles (2 km) west of Sotterley
. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 155. A joint parish council covers the parishes of Ellough
, Shadingfield, Sotterley and Willingham St Mary.
The village has few services. Children attend primary school in Brampton
, middle school in Worlingham
and high school in Beccles
. The Shadingfield Fox public house is within the parish boundary, although more commonly associated with Shadingfield. The parish church, which was dedicated to St Mary, is no longer standing.
of 1086, the village of Willingaham formed part of the estates of Hugh de Montfort. It consisted of around 31 families, including at least 15 freemen, and paid 3 geld in taxation.
The village formed part of the estate of Elisabeth Bruisyard in 1281 and passed through various hands, including to the Playters of Sotterley
, before becoming part of the estate of the Earl of Gosford
who owned the manor in 1846. It consisted of around 1000 acres and had a popualtion of 156 in 1848, and Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1872 gives the population of the village as 142 in 31 houses. The population has fluctuated slightly, although it has remained largely unchanged since the 1801 census.
Willingham Hall, located to the east of the modern village, dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and is a Grade II listed building. It is located near to the site of the parish church which is believed to have fallen into disrepair at the beginning of the 16th century. The church, which was dedicated to St Mary and existed at the time of the Domesday survey, was recorded as 'scarcely visible' by Suckling in 1846, although some remains could be seen in the 1920s. The parish was united with North Cove
in 1526 and consolidated with Ellough following the reformation
, the stone from the church probably being used to repair All Saints Church, Ellough
and St Margarets Church, Sotterley.
The area around the hall and church are thought to be the site of the medieval village. A number of ditches and pottery finds indicate buildings were located in this area and settlement is shown on a map from the late 18th century. Human bones have been observed in ploughsoil from the former churchyard.
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...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
located about 3.5 miles (6 km) south of Beccles
Beccles
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 Blythburgh and A12 road, northeast of London as the crow flies, southeast of Norwich, and north northeast of the county town of...
along the A145
A145 road
The A145 is a road that connects the town of Beccles in Suffolk to the South.The entire route is a standard A road classification and although not particularly long it does provide a useful route onto the main A12 to Ipswich.-Route description:Beccles...
in the District of Waveney
Waveney
Waveney is a local government district in Suffolk, England, named after the River Waveney that forms its north-west border. The district council is based in Lowestoft, the major settlement in Waveney, which is the only unparished area in the district...
. The village is joined with Shadingfield
Shadingfield
Shadingfield is a village in the English county of Suffolk located approximately 4 miles south of Beccles along the A145. The village is joined with Willingham St Mary and 1½ miles west of Sotterley. The mid-2005 population estimate for Shadingfield parish was 170...
and 1.5 miles (2 km) west of Sotterley
Sotterley
Sotterley, originally Southern-lea from its situation south of the river, is a parish in the English county of Suffolk, located approximately south-east of Beccles and east of Willingham St Mary and Shadingfield. The parish is primarily agricultural with a dispersed population of 110...
. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 155. A joint parish council covers the parishes of Ellough
Ellough
Ellough is a parish in the English county of Suffolk located approximately south-east of Beccles. The area is sparsely populated with a mid-2005 population estimate of 40. Neighbouring villages include North Cove, Weston, Sotterley and Henstead...
, Shadingfield, Sotterley and Willingham St Mary.
The village has few services. Children attend primary school in Brampton
Brampton, Suffolk
Brampton is a village in Suffolk, England, located approximately four miles north east of Halesworth, five miles south of Beccles and nine miles south west of Lowestoft. The mid-2005 population estimate for Brampton with Stoven parish was 460...
, middle school in Worlingham
Worlingham
Worlingham is a village and civil parish in the Waveney district of Suffolk, England about east of Beccles. As of 2008 it is effectively a suburb of Beccles...
and high school in Beccles
Sir John Leman High School
Sir John Leman High School is currently a mixed-sex, 13-18 comprehensive school serving part of the Waveney region in north Suffolk, England. The school is located on the western edge of the town of Beccles and serves the surrounding area, including Worlingham and parts of Lowestoft...
. The Shadingfield Fox public house is within the parish boundary, although more commonly associated with Shadingfield. The parish church, which was dedicated to St Mary, is no longer standing.
History
At the Domesday surveyDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, the village of Willingaham formed part of the estates of Hugh de Montfort. It consisted of around 31 families, including at least 15 freemen, and paid 3 geld in taxation.
The village formed part of the estate of Elisabeth Bruisyard in 1281 and passed through various hands, including to the Playters of Sotterley
Playters Baronets
The Playters Baronetcy, of Sotterley in the County of Suffolk, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 13 August 1623 for Thomas Playters and was the last baronetcy created by King James I. The second Baronet was Vice-Admiral of Suffolk between 1640 and 1649. The fifth Baronet...
, before becoming part of the estate of the Earl of Gosford
Earl of Gosford
Earl of Gosford is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1806 for Arthur Acheson, 2nd Viscount Gosford. The Acheson family descends from the Scottish statesman Sir Archibald Acheson, 1st Baronet of Edinburgh, who later settled in Markethill, County Armagh...
who owned the manor in 1846. It consisted of around 1000 acres and had a popualtion of 156 in 1848, and Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1872 gives the population of the village as 142 in 31 houses. The population has fluctuated slightly, although it has remained largely unchanged since the 1801 census.
Willingham Hall, located to the east of the modern village, dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and is a Grade II listed building. It is located near to the site of the parish church which is believed to have fallen into disrepair at the beginning of the 16th century. The church, which was dedicated to St Mary and existed at the time of the Domesday survey, was recorded as 'scarcely visible' by Suckling in 1846, although some remains could be seen in the 1920s. The parish was united with North Cove
North Cove
North Cove is on the A146, in between Beccles and Lowestoft in Suffolk. The local church is called St. Boltoph and contains medieval wall paintings....
in 1526 and consolidated with Ellough following the reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, the stone from the church probably being used to repair All Saints Church, Ellough
All Saints Church, Ellough
All Saints Church, Ellough, is a redundant Anglican church in the parish of Ellough in the English county of Suffolk. The church is medieval in origin and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
and St Margarets Church, Sotterley.
The area around the hall and church are thought to be the site of the medieval village. A number of ditches and pottery finds indicate buildings were located in this area and settlement is shown on a map from the late 18th century. Human bones have been observed in ploughsoil from the former churchyard.