| Felthorpe | |
|---|---|
 St. Margaret's Church | |
  Felthorpe Location withinNorfolk | |
| Area | 3.36 sq mi (8.7 km2) |
| Population | 767 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 228/sq mi (88/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TG169182 |
| • London | 100 miles (160 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORWICH |
| Postcode district | NR10 |
| Dialling code | 01603 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°43′07″N1°12′37″E / 52.718515°N 1.210384°E /52.718515; 1.210384 | |
Felthorpe is a village andcivil parish in theEnglish county ofNorfolk.
Felthorpe is located 11 miles (18 km) east ofDereham and 7.1 miles (11.4 km) north-west ofNorwich.
Felthorpe's name is of mixedAnglo-Saxon andViking origin and derives from an amalgamation of theOld Norse andOld English for "Faela's outlying farmstead or settlement".[1]
In theDomesday Book of 1086, Felthorpe is listed as a settlement of 45 households in thehundred ofTaverham. In 1086, the village was divided between theEast Anglian estates ofKing William I,Alan of Brittany, Ralph de Beaufour,Walter Giffard and Reginald, son of Ivo.[2]
Felthorpe Watermill stood in the village, on a small tributary of theRiver Wensum, since the later-Medieval period. In 1883, the mill was upgraded with a steam engine and subsequently demolished in 1927, though some foundations of the building and thewheelrace remain.[3] Felthorpe Windmill stood within the parish from the late-18th century and closed sometime in the early-20th century. The land has reverted to agricultural use.[4]
Felthorpe Hall was built in the nineteenth century as a manor house and still stands today as aGrade II listed private residence.[5] The hall was used as aRed Cross convalescence hospital during theFirst andSecond World Wars.[6]
According to the2021 census, Felthorpe has a population of 767 people which shows an increase from the 745 people recorded in the2011 census.[7]
Felthorpe's parish church is dedicated toSaint Margaret of Antioch and dates from the 17th century, with significant 19th-century restoration to the exterior and interior. St. Margaret's is located outside of the village on Bilney Lane and has been Grade II listed since 1961.[8]
St Margaret's has a good range of stained glass installed byWard and Hughes, with a further stone memorial plaque to Richard Inglett Fortescue Weston Conway, who died in the British colony ofDemerara (now inGuyana) in 1856.[9]
On 3 June 1966, aHawker Siddeley Trident jetliner crashed in the parish after the aircraft entered into adeep stall which the pilot was unable to correct. The Trident entered aflat spin and crashed in a field immediately adjacent to Felthorpe airfield. The aircraft was on a test flight fromHatfield Aerodrome and all four crew were killed in the crash.[10][11]
Located to the southwest of the village is a grass airfield that was established in 1964. It is home to the Felthorpe Flying Group and is the base for a number of vintage aircraft, and also aFokker Dr.IDreidecker replica that first flew in 2018. The airfield suffered a suspected arson attack in February 2003, destroying a number of historic aircraft, and a hangar and other buildings.[11][12][13][14]
The villagepublic house has stood on its current site since the end of the 18th century and is still open today. The Mariner's Arms has been previously operated byBullard's of Norwich, Watney-Mann andBrent Walker but today operates as a free house.[15]
Felthorpe is part of theelectoral ward of Horsford & Felthorpe for local elections and is part of thedistrict ofBroadland.
The village's national constituency isBroadland and Fakenham which has been represented by theConservative Party'sJerome Mayhew MP since 2019.
St. Margaret's Church holds two memorials to theFirst World War, one a carved church screen detailing the men of Felthorpe who died during the conflict and a framed Roll of Honour with all the names of the men who served.[16] The memorial lists the following men for the First World War:[17]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCpl. | George C. Stannard | 49th (Edmonton) Bn.,CEF | 9 Mar. 1918 | Edmonton Cemetery |
| Gnr. | Sidney G. Palmer | 133rd Bty.,Royal Garrison Artillery | 24 Dec. 1918 | St. Margaret's Churchyard |
| Pte. | A. Frank Wilkinson | 47th (British Columbia) Bn.,CEF | 27 Sep. 1918 | Quarry Road Cemetery |
| Pte. | Herbert J. Dack | 8th Bn.,Norfolk Regiment | 19 Jul. 1916 | Delville Wood Cemetery |
| Pte. | Brian T. Betts | 7th Bn.,Suffolk Regiment | 28 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
As well as the following for theSecond World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLt. | Paul F. Mayhew | No. 79 Squadron RAF | 19 Feb. 1942 | Birmingham Crematorium |
Media related toFelthorpe at Wikimedia Commons