Blog
Spotlight on Feltham – our estate agent’s view
Monday, September 12, 2016
At first glance you might think that Feltham is just another homogenous Greater London suburb but scratch the surface and you’ll find a rich history, culture, open spaces and residents that overwhelmingly continue to identify their home county as "Middlesex". A devastating fire in 1634 destroyed most of the buildings in the parish but the foundations of St Dunstan’s Church (rebuilt in 1801) date back to the 12th century.
The coming of the railway line in 1848 led to major expansion of the town northward and for the first time a proper High Street appeared with an array of shops and services. The Centre, a shopping, leisure and residential complex in the heart of the rejuvenated Feltham, opened in 2006. With extensive parking, rail and bus access and over 60 stores, cafes and restaurants it offers a fantastic shopping experience for the Borough of Hounslow.
Feltham has been associated with land and air transport for well over 100 years. 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 3 restaurants in Feltham all boast a Certificate of Excellence: Banh Mi 108, a small Vietnamese restaurant on Feltham High Street, has a simple but varied menu; Gurkha Durbar an upscale Nepalese restaurant has a range of “tandoori” oven dishes and exotic curries whilst Tandoori Nights offers excellent value Bangladeshi cuisine.
Feltham has more than its fair share of open spaces with Hounslow Heath to the east, the award winning Bedfont Lakes Country Park with 180 acres of lakes, woodlands and rolling meadows 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.
Sports facilities are excellent both at Feltham Community College, where four time 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) of rock band Queen. Other famous Feltham residents have included Jimmy Page, legendary guitarist with rock band Led Zeppelin, Vic Briggs, guitarist of 1960s pop group The Animals, and actor Derek Martin, best known as Charlie Slater in BBC soap EastEnders.
Feltham Arts Association fosters community participation in creative activity, celebrating culture and providing opportunities for all. 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the Feltham Festival, which takes place every year from April to June. Circus fun and frolics, juggling and tightrope walking were among the workshops on offer.
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 or to see our properties for sale or to let in the area please contact our Feltham office.
