Willoughby, Warwickshire
| Willoughby | |
|---|---|
 St Nicholas' parish church |
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 Willoughby
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| Willoughby shown within Warwickshire | |
| Population | 398 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SP5167 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Rugby |
| Postcode district | CV23 |
| Dialling code | 01788 |
| Police | Warwickshire |
| Fire | Warwickshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Willoughby, a Warwickshire Village |
Willoughby is a village and civil parish about 5 miles (8 km) south of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The village is about 4.5 miles (7 km) northwest of Daventry in neighbouring Northamptonshire and the eastern boundary of the parish forms part of the county boundary.
Willoughby's toponym is derived from Old Norse Viligbýr meaning "willow farmstead".
The parish is bounded to the south by the River Leam and to the west by one of its tributaries. The village is just west of the main road between Daventry and Coventry, now the A45 road.
The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 398.
Before the Norman Conquest of England Willoughby comprised five small estates. Ordric held two hides, Leuiet and Goduin held half a hide and Ulvric held three small estates totalling one and a half virgates. The Domesday Book of 1086 records that the tenants still held their respective holdings, with Turchil of Warwick as their feudal landlord, but also the Norman baron Hugh de Grandmesnil held one and one sixth hides at Willoughby and Hillmorton.
Henry I (reigned 1100–35) granted the Grandmesnil estates at Willoughby and Shrewley to a man called Wigan in return for service. Wigan's son Ralph died by 1215 and the estate eventually descended to Ralph's brother William and nephew Ivo. By 1242 Ivo had died without an heir so his uncle Thurstan enfeoffed his 10 virgates at Willoughby to the Hospital of St John the Baptist, Oxford. The Augustinian Canons Ashby Priory in Northamptonshire also had an interest in the manor of Willoughby so the master of the hospital had to give the prior 50 marks of silver. However, landowners made further grants of land to the hospital and by 1316 it held the lordship of the manor.
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Wikipedia