Hackney Chronicle: The Essex village less than an hour's drive from Romford with little more than churches and an alpaca farm.

We shine a light on a small village nestled in the Essex countryside with medieval churches and grazing alpaca. Less than an hour's car ride from Romford, the village of Willingale can be found. Also a civil parish, it encompasses the nearby village of Shellow Bowells and the hamlet of Millers Green. The last census conducted in 2021 revealed that the village's population was around 530 people. According to the parish council the rural village's pubs, shop and school have closed. Local amenities include a village hall, social club, and cricket ground, typical of many quaint countryside villages. However, Willingale is understood to be the only Essex village with a shared churchyard between two separate churches – the twelfth century St Andrew and All Saints, and the fourteenth century St Christopher's Church. The churchyard passes The Essex Way footpath. Willingale's rolling pastures are also home to some surprising wildlife. Herds of alpaca can be found at Butlers Farm, with alpaca-related products sold at The Alpaca Shop. Visitors are "welcome" to visit Butlers Farm, where people have experienced walking with the alpacas. History enthusiasts can stop by a memorial erected for the Willingale Airfield, commonly called the Chipping Ongar Airfield, and learn of the site's past use. The airfield was built by the US army, with work starting in August 1942 and the project completing around a year later in August 1943.