It is situated three miles (five kilometres) south from the market town of Alford, and on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

[1] To the rear of Tavern Way is a field containing a scheduled ancient monument, a medieval earthwork of an unknown date.

[citation needed] The most notable person to have come from Willoughby is John Smith, one of the leaders of the Virginia Colony in North America.

[3] Smith was connected to the Native American girl Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan confederacy tribes.

There have been many fictional representations of their encounter and surrounding events, including Disney's animated musical film Pocahontas and its sequel.

On the anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement hundreds of Americans come to the village to see where Smith lived.

[13] The village used to be larger, with more services that included a butcher, a post office and a dairy shop.

Changing demographics and the loss of the railway line and station caused the decline of these businesses.

[citation needed] St Helena's Church dates in part from the 14th century and is a grade I listed building.

[16] In 1848, the village was connected to the rest of the county by the East Lincolnshire Railway, a line from Peterborough to Grimsby.

The Bowls Club meets weekly and players are free to use the green near the Village Hall whenever they please.

[citation needed] The playing field hosts the annual School Sports Day and many other functions.