Felpham

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption=
latitude= 50.79046
longitude= -0.65394
official_name =Felpham
population =
shire_district= Arun
shire_county= West Sussex
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= SZ949998

Felpham (sometimes pronounced locally as "Felf-ham") is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Although sometimes considered part of the greater Bognor Regis habitation it is a village and civil parish in its own right, having an area of 4.26 km² with a population of 9611 people and still growing (2001 census). The hamlet of "Flansham" although connected to the eastern edge of the Felpham built up area, is actually part of the administrative parish of Yapton Fact|date=February 2008.

The A259 Coastal Road passes through the Village, this road runs along the south coast from Havant in Hampshire to Folkstone in Kent.

The 16th century Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Mary. There is also a Methodist church close to the three-way junction of Felpham Way, Flansham Lane and Middleton Road to the east of the village.

History

William Blake lived here for three years, writing his epic poem "" in Felpham. The poem contains his famous words about England's "green and pleasant land", which were inspired by Blake's "evident pleasure" in the Felpham countryside. [Amanda Gilroy , "Green and Pleasant Land: English Culture and the Romantic Countryside", Peeters Publishers, 2004, p.66] The cottage where he lived is depicted in the illustrations for the poem. It lies within the original village, close to "The Fox" public house. It was in Felpham that Blake had his altercation with the drunken soldier John Scofield, who was trespassing in his garden. This led to Blake's trial for sedition because of Scofield's allegation that he had cursed the king. Blake has a road named after him, Blakes Road, the road on which his former residence is sited.

Blake had been invited to Felpham by local resident William Hayley, also a noted writer. Hayley was so famous in his day that he was offered the position of poet laureate in 1790, but turned it down.The village has both a village hall, called the Memorial Hall, built in remembrance to the fallen from World War I and a Church hall.

Great expansion of the village took place between 1930 and 1960 when three (nominally) gated housing estates were developed and again in the 1970s when two (public) housing developments took place on farmland between Felpham and it's neighbouring village of Middleton-on-Sea. In December 2006 planning permission was granted for further development, this time on farmland to the north [ [http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=3877 Felpham (2006) Development plans] ] .

Local facilities

Felpham has three primary schools, Bishop Tufnell CE Infant and Bishop Tufnell CE Junior Schools (both Church of England Aided Schools) and Downview Primary (Infant and Junior)School. A third Infant & Junior school is planned to be added as part of the current housing plans.

Felpham Community College, the main school in the area, operates its own Youth Wing. It is situated next door to the Arun Leisure Centre which has extensive playing fields.

Felpham has King George's Field in memorial to King George V.

Felpham Colts Football Club (including mixed teams, boys teams and girls teams) is the largest youth football club in West Sussex. The club is completely independent and not attached to any of the large local senior football teams. It has 26 teams competing in local football leagues and has been in existence since 1973. The club's teams can be found training at King George V Field on Saturday mornings and playing at Shrubbs Field in nearby Middleton-on-Sea and King George V Field on Sundays.

The Felpham & Middleton Country Dance Club is one of the oldest extant English Country Dance clubs in England.

Felpham Church hall was also the starting point for the 2008 Scout Overland Hike.

External links

* [http://www.felphampc.gov.uk/ Felpham Parish Council]
* [http://www.felphamcolts.com/ Felpham Colts' website]
* [http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/SSX/Felpham/index.php Felpham location map and 1867 Directory notes]
* [http://www.interfolk.co.uk/fmcdc/hist.html The history of the Dance Club]

References