Flitton
Timeline
Places > Flitton
15th Century: The church dates from the period 1440-1489 although there appears to have been a church at Flitton in the 12th century.
1605-14: Mausoleum of the De Grey family of Wrest Park built to the north and east of the chancel. In 1705 three further wings were added to the original construction to create a setting that is cruciform in shape and rare in Britain. Twenty one monuments are contained within the mausoleum; the earliest memorial is in brass and commemorates Sir Henry Grey who died in 1545.
19th Century: Flitton was a significant strawberry growing centre. In the 1920s blight destroyed all the plants and they were never replaced.
1809: Flitton Enclosure Act.
c1846: A school built at Flitton at the expense of Lady Lucas. By 1869 the school had become known as the infants school as a new school had been built at Greenfield. The infants school was closed down c1900.
1922: The church tower restored at a cost of 400.
1932: Part of the parish of Pulloxhill transferred to Flitton.
1969: The village hall officially opened on the 13th September.
1981: A grant from the Department of Environment obtained for restoration work on the Mausoleum to be undertaken to enable the building to be opened to the public.
1982: The De Grey Mausoleum described by Nicklaus Pevsner as "one of the greatest store houses of monuments in England" to be opened to the public.
2002: The White Hart Public House re-opened after being boarded up for 18 months. (Bedfordshire on Sunday, 13th October)
Sources:
- The newspapers cuttings collection at Bedford Central Library.
- PICKFORD, C. Bedfordshire Churches in the 19th Century. Beds Historical Record Soc. Vol.73 1994.
- TAYLOR, C. Flitton : a study of the development of and changes in a Bedfordshire village from 1701 to modern times. 1974.
Page last updated: 28th January 2014