Flitcham Parish, including the hamlet of Harpley Dams and the ‘decayed parish’ of Appleton, has ninety households and about two hundred residents. The village is situated on an ancient pre-Roman trackway, the Icknield Way, which followed the chalk escarpment running from Hunstanton to Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
According to legend, the village is named after St Felix who cruised up the Babingley in the 7th Century and established a church here. Although there are other, more prosaic, suggestions for the name, the image of the Saint, sailing up this tiny river, implausibly decked out in full medieval armour, makes for a picturesque image on our splendid village sign.
Today, Flitcham is part of the Sandringham Estate along with the villages of West Newton, Wolferton, Shernborne, Babingley and Anmer. Many of the houses in the village still belong to the Estate, together with the former Bell pub. This was virtually derelict thirty years ago but the local community raised funds and obtained grants to establish what is now our Community Centre and Social Club (see link on main page). It is one of several amenities, exceptional for such a small village, as we also have a playground, sports pitch and a thriving bowls club.
St Mary’s Church stands at the far West end of the village in peaceful isolation; it is always open during daylight hours and there is a family service once a month. In some contrast, the tiny Appleton Church with its conspicuous round tower has been a ruin for over three hundred years; extensive conservation work was carried out in 2009.
Flitcham Academy Primary School is well regarded and attracts pupils from a wide radius. There is a link to its website on their main page.
The Parish Council meets every two months and there is a monthly village Newsletter, delivered to every household and also available electronically via the Parish Clerk
For the history of the Flitcham Village Sign click the link below:
https://www.photobox.co.uk/view-online-photo-book?widgetId=fe38720a-933a-45ce-b2c8-e6e66c2ffeba&securityId=