Willoughton

{{Short description|Village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox UK place

| static_image_name = St.Andrew's church, Willoughton, Lincs. - geograph.org.uk - 113734.jpg

| static_image_alt =

| static_image_caption = St Andrew's Church, Willoughton

| country = England

| official_name = Willoughton

| map_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|53.426926|-0.601379|display=inline,title}}

| population = 341

| population_ref = (2011)

| shire_district = West Lindsey

| shire_county = Lincolnshire

| region = East Midlands

| constituency_westminster = Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency)

| post_town = Gainsborough

| postcode_district = DN21

| postcode_area = DN

| dial_code =

| os_grid_reference = SK930931

| london_distance_mi = 140

| london_direction = SSE

}}

Willoughton is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated {{convert|2|mi|km|1}} west from the A15 road, {{convert|13|mi|km|0}} north from Lincoln and {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} south from Kirton Lindsey. According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 330, increasing to 341 at the 2011 census.{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11130696&c=willoughton&d=16&e=62&g=6447727&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1464964507082&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=3 June 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}

The name 'Willoughton' derives from the Old English wilig-tūn meaning 'willow tree farm/settlement'.{{cite web | url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Lincolnshire/Willoughton | title=Key to English Place-names }}

File:Old Primitive Methodist Chapel, Willoughton.jpg Chapel]]

The church of St Andrew was built in 1794 to replace earlier buildings on the site, and was restored in 1888. It is of Georgian style.{{cite PastScape|mnumber=327138|mname= Church of St Andrew|access-date=13 February 2011}} There was a Primitive Methodist chapel,{{cite PastScape|mnumber=1381378|mname= Chapel|access-date=13 February 2011}} built in 1866, replacing an earlier chapel of 1837. It closed in 1979 and has since been converted into apartments.{{Citation needed|date=July 2012}}

Willoughton has a post office and village shop, a primary school, village hall and a public house, the Stirrup.

The folklorist, historian and archaeologist Ethel Rudkin lived in the village for much of her life.{{Cite journal|last=Brown|first=Theo|date=1986-01-01|title=Obituary: Ethel H. Rudkin, 1893–1985|journal=Folklore|volume=97|issue=2|pages=222–223|doi=10.1080/0015587X.1986.9716384|issn=0015-587X}}