It wraps up a village's landmarks into a rectangular piece of canvass.

And now a flag, designed by eight-year-old Esme Okan, is to fly high over North Tuddenham.

Esme and several other children from the village, near Dereham, came up with flag designs for a contest which was held by the parish council and the North Tuddenham Community Organisation.

Dereham Times: Esme Okan, eight, with her winning flag design for North Tuddenham.Esme Okan, eight, with her winning flag design for North Tuddenham. (Image: Supplied by Zoe Dixon)

Jonathan Stapleton, chairman of the council and the organisation, said: "We've organised all kinds of activities during the lockdown to give children something to do. We had a pumpkin hunt, quizzes, and the flag design competition was part of that.

"Esme's design was bright and colourful and it met the brief, which was to represent the interesting things about the village. We thought for an eight-year-old to do that was outstanding."

A volunteer from the village sewed Esme's design into full-sized flag, and the youngster, who was "so excited" that she had won the contest, unveiled it at a village barbecue hosted by The Lodge pub and restaurant.

Dereham Times: Esme Okan, eight, with her winning flag design for North Tuddenham.Esme Okan, eight, with her winning flag design for North Tuddenham. (Image: Supplied by Zoe Dixon)

Esme's flag shows the River Tud, The Lodge and the church. The design also features an American B24 bomber which crashed in the village in 1944, and a memorial for the eight airmen who lost their lives. Completing the design is a stripe of bright red at the top and a series of six stars.

Mr Stapleton said: "She picked out the main points of the village quite nicely."

The flag is going to be flown from a pole which is soon to be put up at the village hall in The Street.

Mr Stapleton said: "It will be in full view of everyone going past on that road. We're hoping one day we might be able to fly it from the church tower, but at the moment we can't."

The tower at the village church, All Saints, is currently under scaffolding for urgent repairs.

"The tower is pretty much falling down," Mr Stapleton said. "We've managed to raise a lot of money to stabilise the tower and make it safe, and that work is currently going on."

Esme was given a small cash prize for her winning design.