Main Street is the basis of the village running north to south, there have been some new developments such as bungalows and large detached houses however many farms still remain in the parish.

The Anglican parish church, St Mary's,[5] was built in the Norman period, and its registers date back to 1559.

[6] The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as being in the area of Guthlaxton, with a total population of "22 households (quite large)", "12 meadow acres" and "5 ploughlands with 3 men plough teams".

[8] The earliest census records of Willoughby Waterleys date back to 1801, when the total population was 272.

In 1881 the highest proportion of over-20-year-old male workers in one named sector was 57% in "Agriculture"; however, in 2011, with more categories of work titles, the spread of jobs was larger, with 26.3% in "Managers, Directors and Senior Officials", 25.3% in "Professional Occupations" and 25.3% in "Skilled Trades Occupations", with no people listed under farming or agriculture.

In 1881 women in Willoughby were mostly likely to be employed as "Workers in Dress" (40.48%); however, in the 2011 census the majority were in "Administrative and secretarial jobs".

The parish is described by the Office for National Statistics as a "small town surrounded by inhabited countryside".

[25] They had a friendly XI team that played fixtures throughout the county and would regularly tour each season.