Newton Flotman


Newton Flotman is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, about 8 miles south of Norwich. It lies on the A140 road, north of Tasburgh and south of Swainsthorpe. The River Tas flows through it. The area of and had a population of 1,197 in 497 households at the 2001 census, the population increasing to 1,489 at the 2011 census. For local government it falls within the district of South Norfolk.

Governance

An electoral ward of the same name exists. This stretches west to Wreningham, with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 2,658.

Facilities and amenities

Newton Flotman has a church, St Mary's, which is served by the Tas Valley team ministry along with churches in Swainsthorpe, Tasburgh, Tharston, Saxlingham and Shotesham. In 2006, an extension was opened, providing the church with larger meeting space, as well as kitchen and toilet facilities. In 2018, the church received £87,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was to be used to repair the church roof, tower and drainage system, install Wi-Fi and train local volunteers to produce films about the church's heritage.
Newton Flotman Primary School caters for children living in Newton Flotman, Swainsthorpe and Saxlingham Thorpe. The nearest secondary school is Long Stratton High School.
The village also contains a village hall, a motorcycle garage, and a theatre school known as ARTS, but currently lacks a shop. A convenience store, which opened in the former premises of the post office in March 2007, later closed.
There is an area of land known as Smockmill Common managed by South Norfolk District Council, in Saxlingham Thorpe near Newton Flotman, which is used for recreational purposes. Newton Flotman Football Club is based in the village.
An Elizabethan Country mansion, Rainthorpe Hall, stands by the road between Newton Flotman and Flordon.

Transport

The village stands by the A140 road, which runs between Cromer in North Norfolk and Ipswich in Suffolk. Newton Flotman is served by regular buses to Norwich and Long Stratton, operated by First Norfolk & Suffolk and Simonds of Botesdale.
The railway line between Norwich and London's Liverpool Street station passes through the west side of the village at a level crossing, but there is no station. The nearest is at Norwich.

Notable residents

The village was the home of the Blonumvyll or Blunderville family in the 15th century: Richard & William. Thomas Blundeville, humanist writer, mathematician and inventor of the protractor lived as a country gentleman in the village. Blundeville Manor is the name of a cul de sac in the village.
Brighton's Road, one of the main streets that run through the village, is named after J. L. Brighton, who was chairman of the parish council for 41 years. Brighton was succeeded as chairman by Alan King, who held the post for 14 years. Alan King Playing Field, King's Green, Kingsway and Alan Avenue are all places in the village named after him.