Felpham

Felpham
The A259/B2132 junction
Felpham  Felpham shown within West Sussex
Area	4.26 km2 (1.64 sq mi)
Population	9,746 (2011)
– density	2,255/km2 (5,840/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SZ949998
– London	54 miles (87 km) NNE
Civil parish	Felpham
District	Arun
Shire county	West Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BOGNOR REGIS
Postcode district	PO22
Dialling code	01243
Police	Sussex
Fire	West Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
Website	http://www.felphampc.gov.uk/
List of places UK England West Sussex

Felpham (sometimes pronounced locally as Felf-fm) is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Although sometimes considered part of the urban area of greater Bognor Regis, it is a village and civil parish in its own right, having an area of 4.26 km² with a population of 9611 people that is still growing (2001 census).

Felpham lies on the A259 coastal road that runs from Havant in Hampshire to Folkestone in Kent.

The 12th-century Anglican parish church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. There is also a Methodist church close to the three-way junction of Felpham Way, Flansham Lane and Middleton Road, in the east of the village.

History

Felpham was in existence long before Bognor Regis, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of the 11th century, under the hundred of Binstead: "St Edward's Abbey [Shaftesbury] holds and held Felpham before 1066..." Its value before 1066 was said to be £10.

William Blake, introduced to the village by his friend William Hayley, lived in Felpham for three years while writing his epic poem Milton . The poem contains his famous words about "England's green and pleasant land", today known as the anthem "Jerusalem", which were inspired by Blake's "evident pleasure" in the Felpham countryside. 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. Of the village he wrote:

Away to sweet Felpham for heaven is there:
The Ladder of Angels descends through the air
On the turrett its spiral does softly descend
Through the village it winds, at my cot it does end.

The "turrett" in the verse is Hayley's house, east of the church, which he built around 1800. 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, and a memorial window dedicated to him in St Mary's Church.

Blake's host, Hayley, was so famous in his day for having turned down the offer of the position of poet laureate in 1790.

A 1947 Ordnance Survey map, showing Bognor Regis with Felpham to the right

The village has a village hall, called the Memorial Hall, built in remembrance to the fallen from World War I and a church community hall called St Mary's Centre.

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 its neighbouring village of Middleton-on-Sea. In December 2006 planning permission was granted for further development, this time on farmland to the north.

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 and 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 a recreation ground, King George's Field, named after King George V.

Sport and leisure

The cottage in Felpham where William Blake lived from 1800 till 1803.

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.

Predators Youth and Blue FC. Predators started in 1994 with only a few players and has grown to 14 youth teams a women's team and a successful adults team. Predators is one largest youth and adults football clubs in west sussex and they play and train within the Bognor Regis area.

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.

Arun Gymnastics Club which caters for all ages and abilities. Gymnasts have competed and had success at local, regional and national level that's to its highly trained coaches.

Predators Youth Green FC is a small youth football club whose aim to offer football for everyone, regardless of ability. Based in Felpham, they train at Larks field, the Arun Leisure Centre or Bishop Tufnell school, and play their matches at King Georges or Larksfield.

External links

• Felpham Parish Council
• Felpham location map and 1867 Directory notes