Coordinates: 51°26′59″N 0°24′32″W / 51.4496°N 0.4089°W
| Feltham | |
  Feltham
Feltham shown within Greater London |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Hounslow |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FELTHAM |
| Postcode district | TW13, TW14 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Feltham and Heston |
| London Assembly | South West |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Feltham (pronounced /ˈfɛltəm/) is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London.[1] It is located about 13 miles (21 km) west-southwest of central London at Charing Cross and 2 miles (3.2 km) from Heathrow Airport Central.[2] It is the location of Feltham Young Offenders' Institution,[3] situated near the town's border with Ashford and the neighbouring village of East Bedfont.
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History
Feltham formed an ancient parish in the Spelthorne hundred of Middlesex.[4] In 1831 it occupied an area of 2,620 acres (11 km2) and had a population of 924.[5] From 1894 to 1904 the Felham parish was included in the Staines Rural District.[4] In 1901 the parish had a population of 4,534[5] and in 1904 it was split from the rural district to form the Feltham Urban District.[6]. In 1932 the parishes of Hanworth and East Bedfont were also transferred from the Staines district to the council of Feltham Urban District. The former area of Feltham Urban District became part of Greater London in 1965 as part of the London Borough of Hounslow.[7]
In 1784 General William Roy set out the baseline of what would become the Ordnance Survey across Hounslow Heath, passing through Feltham.[8] General Roy is commemorated by a local pub. The MOD Defence Geographic Centre still has a base in Feltham.
The main economic activity of the Feltham area was market gardening until well into the twentieth century. A popular variety of pea is known as "Feltham First" as it was first grown in the town. The market gardens were largely replaced with light industry and new housing from the 1930s onwards, but this is still one of the greenest areas in Greater London and includes three rivers, part of the once vast Hounslow Heath, a country park formed from converted gravel pits, and one of London's first airfields, London Air Park, which is now a large and popular public open space.
The town has also been associated with land and air transport for over a century. In what is now the Leisure West complex, the Feltham tramcar was once manufactured and ran along the tracks of many municipal operators, though never in Feltham itself. In the same area of the town, aircraft manufacture was an important industry, particularly during the war years. Feltham was also home to Britain's second largest railway marshalling yards and was a target for Luftwaffe bombs several times during the second world war.
Local government and politics
The town forms part of Feltham and Heston Parliament constituency and the South West London Assembly constituency.[9] There are two Council wards in Feltham - Feltham North and Feltham West - though locals may include sections of the Hanworth Park ward, part of which begins to the south of the railway line to the east of the high street, and even parts of Bedfont as being "Feltham".[10]
Suburbs
North Feltham, Lower Feltham, Hatton, Felthamhill (actually just inside Surrey and officially part of Sunbury).
Nearby Bedfont and Hanworth are considered sub-towns in themselves and not part of Feltham.
Redevelopment
The town is a focus for redevelopment within Hounslow.[1] The Centre, Feltham, opened in 2006, is a mixed use development of a hotel, 800 homes, 50 shops, a library and medical centre.[1]
Famous residents
- Dr Thomas Denham retired here in 1791.
- Brian May of the band Queen.
- Freddie Mercury of the band Queen. Lived in the town between 1964 and 1968 and his parents were residents until shortly before Mercury (born Farokh Bulsara in Zanzibar) died. On 24th November 2009, the eighteenth anniversary of the musician's death, a permanent memorial was unveiled in Feltham's town centre piazza, by Brian May alongside Freddie's mother, Jer Bulsara, and his sister. The Hollywood-style granite star is the first permanent memorial to the world-famous musician in the UK
- Derek Martin of Eastenders (Charlie Slater) lives/lived here.
- Buster Lloyd Jones the famous Veterinarian.
In pop culture
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2008) |
- Indie rock band Hard-Fi wrote a song called "Feltham is Singing Out", about a friend who was sent to the Feltham Young Offenders' Institution. The song is on their Stars of CCTV album.
- Indie rock band Oasis filmed the video to "Stand By Me" in The centre, where the new flats are now situated.
- UK Hip Hop group So Solid Crew filmed the video to "Broken Silence" in the old high street and Highfields Housing development.
Transport
Nearby Hatton Cross tube station, which is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line, serves the residents of Feltham, with bus routes 90, 285, 490, H26 and H25 running frequent servies through the town to the station.
The town is also served by Feltham railway station with rail service to Waterloo, Windsor and Eton Riverside and Reading, and London Buses services to Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Hounslow, Brentford, Heathrow and Staines.[11] The nearest places are Hounslow, East Bedfont, Ashford, Hanworth, Cranford and Sunbury.[2]
Gallery
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Gallery
Feltham Gallery [12]
References
- ^ a b c Hounslow London Borough Council. New future for Feltham'. 14 July 2006.
- ^ a b Hounslow London Borough Council - Borough map
- ^ politics.co.uk - politics.co.uk - What is a Young Offender Institution?
- ^ a b Vision of Britain - Feltham parish history (historic map)
- ^ a b Vision of Britain - Feltham parish area and population
- ^ Vision of Britain - Feltham UD
- ^ Vision of Britain - Hounslow UD
- ^ J.B.Harley 1969, cartographical notes to Reprint of the first edition of the one-inch Ordnance Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 71 London, David and Charles, ISBN 0-7153-4615-6
- ^ Hounlsow London Borough Council - GLA Member
- ^ Hounlsow London Borough Council - Your Councillors by Ward
- ^ Transport for London - Buses from Feltham
- ^ http://www.cdrake.co.uk/GALLERIES/Feltham%20Gallery/index.html
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Feltham |
- British History Online - Spelthorne Hundred - Feltham. (1911)
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