Willesborough

Willesborough is a residential suburb, on the eastern side of Ashford, in the county of Kent, England.

The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the River East Stour, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). The dykes continue on the east side of the River East Stour and among the residential areas, and a tributary stream (Aylesford Stream) runs between Newtown and South Willesborough and into the East Stour. The smallest ditches dry up completely in summer.

The South Willesborough Dykes are important in terms of the geology of the area, being in the river floodplain and in supporting neutral, wet grassland species, along with Willesborough's Aylesford Green and Boys Hall forming part of the Ashford Green Corridor, although public access is otherwise limited.

Ashford Borough Council has a project to create the Willesborough Dykes Country Park.

There are a number of schools in and around the Willesborough area.

Willesborough is bordered by Ashford to the west and north-west, the M20 to the north, and Sevington and the new village of Finberry to the south-east.

In 1184 Pope Lucius III wrote to the abbot of St. Augustine, Canterbury, suggesting that the parson of Willesborough retired and passed the benefice to his son who could then be free to pursue his studies.

Boys Hall was built by Thomas Boys in 1616. Its grounds are part of Ashford Green Corridor while the manor house is now an hotel.