Blog
Spotlight on Feltham - our estate agent’s view
Monday, May 14, 2018
Spotlight on Feltham - our estate agent’s view. At first glance Feltham may appear to be just another Greater London suburb but scratch the surface and you’ll find a rich history, culture, open spaces and a community where residents overwhelmingly identify their home county as "Middlesex". A devastating fire back in 1634 destroyed most of the parish buildings but the foundations of St Dunstan’s Church (rebuilt in 1801) date back to the 12th century. First recorded in the Domesday Book as Felda, then Feldham meaning “home in a field”, Feltham has rural roots that continued with market gardening well into the twentieth century.
The coming of the railway in 1848 prompted major expansion of the town northward and a proper High Street emerged with an array of shops and services. In 2006, The Centre, a shopping, leisure and residential complex, opened in the heart of the rejuvenated Feltham. Extensive parking, rail and bus access and over 60 stores, cafes and restaurants offer a fantastic retail experience for the Borough of Hounslow.
For well over a century, Feltham has been associated with land and air transport. Tramcar and aircraft manufacture was important and Feltham was targetted by the German air force during WWII. Aston Martin had its main factory in Feltham from 1926 -1963. Today the largest local employer is Heathrow Airport and many local businesses particularly those in logistics, serve the needs of the world's busiest international airport by passenger volume.
Tripadvisor’s top 2 restaurants in Feltham boast a Certificate of Excellence: Banh Mi 108, a small Vietnamese restaurant on Feltham High Street, has a simple but varied menu whilst Gurkha Durbar, an upscale Nepalese restaurant, has a range of “tandoori” oven dishes and exotic curries.
Feltham offers a choice of open spaces with Hounslow Heath to the east, the award winning Bedfont Lakes Country Park with 180 acres of lakes, woodlands and rolling meadow and one of London's first airfields, London Air Park at Hanworth, which has lawns surrounded by trees and a large and sports-oriented public area. You can also find a wealth of history, culture and spectacular grounds at Hampton Court Palace and Maze , Ham House and Osterley Park all within a 5 mile radius. Open daily, Hounslow Urban Farm is one of London’s largest community farms and is a fun family day out with a wide range of animals to feed including goats, cows, rabbits, alpacas, chipmunks and rheas, and the highlight is weekly pig racing.
Sports facilities are excellent both at Feltham Community College, where triple Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah once studied, and Rivers Academy West London. Further indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities can be found at Hanworth Air Park Leisure Centre and Leisure West - a privately run entertainment complex with multiplex cinema, tenpin bowling alley, bingo club and restaurants.
In 2009 a Hollywood-style granite star was erected in Feltham's town-centre piazza, to commemorate famous former resident Freddie Mercury (1946–1991) lead vocalist of rock band Queen. Other famous Feltham residents have included Jimmy Page, legendary guitarist with Led Zeppelin and actor Derek Martin, best known as Charlie Slater in BBC’s EastEnders.
Feltham Arts Association fosters community participation in creative activity, celebrating culture and providing opportunities for all. Feltham Festival, an annual event from May to June, showcases exciting emerging local artists, music, variety shows, visual arts and high quality community arts.
There’s a diverse range of property available in Feltham from late victorian houses with period features to contemporary new build homes. Its location in prime commuter territory, road and rail access and proximity to Heathrow also make Feltham ideal for buy-to-let investment potential. For more information about the area or to see our properties for sale or to let in Feltham please visit contact our Feltham Estate Agents Branch or read our Feltham Area Guide
