The charming village with an unusual connection to a ‘witch’

Townspeople historically claimed there was a witch among them

A South Cambridgeshire village has an unusual connection to a witch, townspeople historically claimed. Willingham is a charming village just outside the Fens which offers an array of local amenities and a pretty atmosphere – but its history is by far more intriguing.

Local legend has it that a man, named Jabez Few, was branded by townspeople as the witch of Willingham. Historically, Mr Few kept white mice, which was deemed peculiar by his fellow villagers. The ‘witch’ died in the 1920s and locals shared a strong belief that his mice were his familiar spirits.

They tried and tried to get rid of them, but the mice just would not flee. The locals reportedly resulted in eccentric measures to get rid of them – by holding them over running water.

Although this historic witchery does not paint the picture of a calming village, nowadays, it is a highly sought-after place to live. The village hosts a primary school, library, doctor’s surgery, post office and restaurants. It is also home to a historic house believed to date back to the 15th-century.

In 1933, there were reportedly still seven pubs operating before it reduced to five in 1982. Nowadays, the village has three pubs called The Porterhouse, The Duke of Wellington and The Bank.

Ideally located, Willingham offers transport links through the A14, bus services and Waterbeach railway station, less than 20-minutes away by driving. The village is neighbour to Northstowe, a planned ‘New Town’ of up to 10,000 new homes.

House prices in Willingham are cheaper than south Cambridgeshire as a whole. Willingham house prices had an overall average of £373,746 over the last year, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, the average house price in south Cambridgeshire was £433,000 in April 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.