Felling, United Kingdom

Felling, at latitude 54.950° N and longitude 1.564° W, lies less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south and east of Gateshead town centre on a bed of carboniferous sandstone and clay, interspersed with coal measures laid down around 300 million years. It is split bilaterally by the Felling By-Pass to the north and by Sunderland Road more centrally. The distance from Felling to London is 255 miles (410 km).

The urban expansion of Gateshead makes exact overall boundaries difficult to define. Although administratively considered one area, official documentation has split Felling into three distinct neighbourhoods: North, Central and High Felling. Felling North is roughly comparable to the old settlement at Felling Shore, bounded to the north by the River Tyne and the south by Sunderland Road. The other neighbourhoods also broadly follow their historical boundaries; the central area includes Felling town centre and the surrounding streets, while High Felling incorporates Coldwell Lane and the adjoining streets moving south towards Windy Nook.

Felling lies on land which is steep at the riverbank but which initially flattens at the north then begins to climb, with some slope south to north centrally before consistently sloping, at times steeply, in High Felling. At the south-west corner, the land reaches a maximum height of around 130 metres (430 ft) above sea-level.

There are two principal economic areas in Felling. The first of these is at Felling Shore, where the East Gateshead Riverside Park was built in 1966 and which, combined with the Felling Shore industrial estate, today houses 241 businesses employing around 6,400 people. The second is in central Felling in the town centre area around Victoria Square. The town centre has seen massive investment since 2006, with the complete redevelopment of the main shopping centre and addition of a new Asda superstore and other retailers. Other amenities include a Post Office, several bookmakers, as well as four public houses and several fast food outlets.

The Felling Health Care Centre is the main source of General Healthcare for the town's population, and houses St Alban's medical group and Crowhall Medical Group.

Levels of unemployment in Felling are high. Only 52.4% of the total working age population are in employment, as compared to 61.7% in the borough overall. Around 10% of residents claim Jobseeker's Allowance; this is double the Gateshead average and is the highest figure in the borough. Youth unemployment levels are also very high at 14%, which compares to a borough average of 9% and is also the highest figure in Gateshead. The average income of residents is only £18,000 per annum; this compares to a Gateshead average of £27,000 and is the lowest figure in the borough.

In 1963, Felling was twinned with Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France. When it was absorbed into Gateshead in 1974, the twinning arrangement was transferred to Gateshead.

A number of listed buildings are located in and around the town centre. Arguably the most significant is Crow Hall, a Grade II* listed building, is an early 18th-century sandstone and ashlar, one-room deep building at Crowhall Lane. The adjacent Crow Hall Cottage and gate piers are Grade II listed buildings. At Victoria Terrace stands Felling post office; a two-story course sandstone building with quoins and a Welsh slate roof. Close by is the Imperial Bingo Club, built as a dance hall in 1927 and converted to a bingo hall in 1930, at Victoria Square. Both are Grade II listed buildings.

Also a Grade II listed building is Ardallan; the first house built at Holly-Hill field in Felling constructed of sandstone and with three sash windows.

The gates, gate piers and walls are also Grade II listed. Almost immediately next door stands a house and shop at 35 Davison Street; another Grade II listed building.

Felling is served by a number of primary schools. Colegate Community primary school, at Colegate West, is a satisfactory school with well behaved pupils who make satisfactory progress. Falla Park Community primary school on Falla Park Road is an average sized school where the number of pupils entitled to free school meals is well above the national average. This is a good school where pupils perform consistently well at key stage two. Also a good school is The Drive Community primary school; a smaller than average school which achieves good results despite being located in an area of "considerable social disadvantage". To the north, at Mulberry Street, lies Brandling primary school; another good, smaller than average-sized school. Bede Community primary school, at Old Fold Road, is in an area with a "high incidence of social and economic deprivation" with a very high proportion of children entitled to free school meals and with learning difficulties. Here children do not achieve as well in examinations but instead enjoy a high level of personal development and so, according to the latest OFSTED report, this too is a good school.