Willingham St Mary

History

At the Domesday Book survey 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 1,000 acres and had a population of 156 in 1848; by 1872 Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales gives the population as 142 in 31 houses. The population has fluctuated slightly, although it has remained largely unchanged since the 1801 census.

There are four Grade II listed buildings in the parish. The late 18th-century Fox Farmhouse, a late 17th- to early 18th-century timber-framed barn at Moat Farm, a late 17th-century timber-framed barn at Willingham Hall and the late 16th- to early 17th-century Willingham Hall.

Willingham Hall 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. In 1873 it was united with the church at Sotterley.

The area around the hall and church are considered to be a possible site for a deserted 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 one of the suspected sites for the church.

References

References

1. [https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/assets/Planning/Neighbourhood-Planning/Town-and-village-profiles/Willingham-St.-Mary-Village-Profile.pdf Village profile: Willingham St Mary], [[East Suffolk District Council]], 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
2. [https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/media/pdfs/willingham.pdf Willingham], Suffolk Heritage Explorer, [[Suffolk County Council]]. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
3. [https://www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/uploads/Shadingfield,_Sotterley,_Willingham___Ellough-_Parish_Profile.pdf Shadingfield, Sotterley, Willingham & Ellough]{{Dead link. (December 2025)
4. [http://shadingfield.onesuffolk.net/parish-council/ Shadingfield, Sotterley, Willingham and Ellough Parish Council Website], 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
5. [https://suffolk.camra.org.uk/place/342 Willingham St Mary], Suffolk Pubs, Suffolk [[Campaign for Real Ale]]. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
6. [https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/assets/Your-Council/WDC-Council-Meetings/2019/March/Council-20-03-19/Item-11-APPENDIX-A-Waveney-Local-Plan.pdf Waveney Local Plan], [[Waveney District Council]], adopted 2019, published by [[East Suffolk District Council]], 2019, pp.191–192. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
7. [http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/suffolk7.html#willingham Willingham], The Domesday Book Online. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
8. [[Alfred Inigo Suckling
9. [https://opendomesday.org/place/TM4586/willingham/ Willingham], Open Domesday. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
10. Page A (1844) 'Willingham St. Mary or Werlingham', ''Topographical and genealogical, The County of Suffolk''. ([http://www.bigenealogy.com/suffolk/willingham_st_mary_parish.htm Available online]. Retrieved 2011-06-23.)
11. [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)
12. [[John Marius Wilson
13. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1284301 Fox Farm House, Willingham St Mary], [[Historic England]]. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
14. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1352628 Barn at Moat Farm, Willingham St Mary], [[Historic England]]. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
15. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1032012 Barn at Willingham Hall, Willingham St Mary], [[Historic England]]. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
16. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1284296 Willingham Hall, Willingham St Mary], [[Historic England]]. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
17. [https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF13957 Monument record WSM 009 - Church at Willingham St Mary - St Marys? Alternative location of WSM 002], Suffolk Heritage Explorer, [[Suffolk County Council]]. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
18. [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSF1436&resourceID=1017 Church of St Mary], Heritage Gateway, [[Historic England]]. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
19. [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSF21662&resourceID=1017 Irrigation Reservoir (proposed), Willingham], Heritage Gateway, [[Historic England]], 2003. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
20. [https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF21662 Monument record WSM 005 - Irrigation Reservoir (proposed), Willingham], Suffolk Heritage Explorer, [[Suffolk County Council]]. Retrieved 2021-02-10.