Flitcham, Norfolk

Flitcham is a village within the civil parish of Flitcham with Appleton in the English county of Norfolk.[1] The village is 45.5 miles (73.2 km) north-west of Norwich, 9.1 miles (14.6 km) north-east of King’s Lynn and 112 miles (180 km) north of London. The village straddles the B1153 road[2] just to the north of the A148 Fakenham Road at Hillington. The nearest railway station is at King’s Lynn for the Fen Line which runs between King’s Lynn and Cambridge. The parish of Flitcham with Appleton in the 2011 census, had a population of 276 in 121 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Together with the villages of West Newton, Shernborne, and Anmer, it is part of the Royal Sandringham Estate.

Flitcham

Saint Mary's parish church, Flitcham.
Flitcham
Location within Norfolk
Population276 (parish, 2011 census)
OS grid referenceTF7226
• London112 miles (180 km)
Civil parish
  • Flitcham with Appleton
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKINGS LYNN
Postcode districtPE31
Dialling code01485
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

Description

The parish of Flitcham with Appleton within which the village is located is a large parish which is in the north west of Norfolk. To the east the parish boundary is discernible by the route of the Peddars Way, the long distance footpath which follows the route of a Roman road. On the southern boundary is the River Babingley whose source is close to the village and runs to the River Great Ouse at Wootton Marshes. The northern boundary is with the civil parish of Anmer, whilst the parish and royal estate of Sandringham lie to the west. The village of Flitcham is in the south of the parish. Also within the parish is the hamlet of Appleton, a lost village which has now dwindled to a few dwellings and a church in a ruinous state. The name Flitcham derives from the Old English meaning a homstead or village where flitches of bacon are produced.[3]

History

Roman Occupation

Evidence has found that there was substantial settlement within the parish during the period of Roman occupation in Norfolk. In 1940 archeologist found a villa and bath house on slopes overlooking smaller settlements in the river Babingley valley. These substantial buildings were found in Denbeck Wood, a little north west of Flitcham near Appleton. The excavations revealed the main house, which had glazed windows and a tessellated floor, and a courtyard surrounded by small buildings along with the bath house which had pink painted wall plaster. The dig also found a number of Roman artefacts which included coins, pottery, brooches and other metalwork dating from the 3rd to the early 4th centuries. Another building was discovered near Flitcham Hall on the northern side of Common Drove. On this site, pottery, flue tiles and other architectural fragments were unearthed. These two buildings are part of a group of villas in the area, including others at Congham and Gayton.

Anglo-Saxon period

During the excavations of the Denbeck Wood villa other artefacts were found from the Anglo-Saxon period. These included early Anglo-Saxon pottery, brooches and other metalwork, as well as Middle and Late Anglo-Saxon pottery and metalwork.

The Domesday Book

Flitcham has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085 where its population, land ownership and productive resources were extensively detailed[4] In the survey Flitcham is recorded by the name of Flicham, Phlicham and Plic(e)ham. The main tenants being the Bishop of Bayeux, William de Warenne and Robert and Ranulf Fitz Walter from Roger Bigot. The survey also listed 4 mills, a church, 3 acres (12,000 m2) of meadow, paunage for 27 swine, 3 cows, 1 beast for carriage and 180 sheep. In the Domesday book the size of woodland was normally given as the number of swine a wood[5] could support in this case 27 pigs.

Notable people
Olav V King of Norway

Olav V (2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) who was the King of Norway from 1957, was born in Appleton House in Flitcham to Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud, the daughter of King Edward VII). He was given the names and title of Alexander Edward Christian Frederik, Prince of Denmark. He was given the name Olav when his father became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905.[6]

Together with the villages of West Newton, Shernborne, and Anmer, it is part of the Royal Sandringham Estate.

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References
  1. OS Explorer Map 23” – Norfolk Coast West, King’s Lynn & Hunstanton. ISBN 0-319-21725-6
  2. County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk, page 230 ISBN 978-1-84348-614-5
  3. A Popular Guide to Norfolk Place-names: by James Rye: Published by Larks press, Dereham, Norfolk, 2000 ; ISBN 0-948400-15-3
  4. The Domesday Book, England's Heritage, Then and Now, (Editor: Thomas Hinde), Norfolk, page 189, Flitcham, ISBN 1-85833-440-3
  5. The Normans in Norfolk, By Sue Margeson, Fabienne Seillier and Andrew Rogerson, Pub:1994, Page 100, farming. ISBN 0-903101-62-9
  6. "Olav to Martha". Time Magazine. 21 January 1929. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
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