20 Facts About Low Fell

Low Fell is a suburb of Gateshead situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England.

Gateshead Low Fell was initially incorporated into the Municipal Borough of Gateshead in 1835 and then the County Borough of Gateshead in 1889.

That portion of Gateshead Fell which would later become Low Fell was, in the 1640s, little more than boggy marsh and wetlands owned by the Bishop of Durham who simply divided the land into plots and rented them to the few tenants willing to pay for them.

Progress was slow, with the last allotment disputes not settled until 1822, but by the time of completion, Gateshead Fell was entirely enclosed and effectively consigned to history.

The divisions of Gateshead Low Fell have remained more or less settled, so that the villages created by enclosure have survived, almost entirely intact, to the present day.

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The only major road through Gateshead Fell was that which followed the same route of the ancient turnpike road which ran through what is Sheriff Hill .

That character is relatively unchanged today, but Low Fell remains one of the most attractive places to live in the North East of England, retaining a distinctive village feel and containing a thriving community of shops, restaurants, schools and churches.

Low Fell is a local council ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

Low Fell is part of the Westminster parliamentary constituency of Gateshead.

Low Fell is part of one of the safest Labour parliamentary seats in the United Kingdom.

Low Fell occupies an elevated position which slopes down from east to west.

Until the implementation of that Act, Low Fell was part of the ceremonial county of County Durham as part of the County Borough of Gateshead.

Low Fell compares very favourably with the wider Gateshead area in respect of adults with educational qualifications.

Low Fell is home to numerous buildings listed by English Heritage.

Low Fell pioneered the use of radiometric dating of minerals and was the first earth scientist to grasp the mechanical and thermal implications of mantle convection, which led eventually to the acceptance of plate tectonics, and has a blue plaque outside his childhood home on Primrose Hill.

Low Fell is located on the A167 – the former route of the Great North Road and the A1, before it was diverted first to the Tyne Tunnel and then to its present route on the Western Bypass.

Until the establishment of Kells Lane Primary School in 1895, education provision in Low Fell relied largely upon the contribution of local residents such as Thomas Wilson, whose literary rooms on Durham Road provided classes for residents.

Low Fell has three primary schools - Kells Lane Primary School on Kells Lane, St Peter's RC Primary School on Dryden Road, and Oakfield Infant and Junior School on Chowdene Bank.

Low Fell falls within the catchment areas of certain secondary schools in other areas of Gateshead, such as the selective state school Emmanuel College in Lobley Hill which was rated 'Outstanding' in 2013, and Cardinal Hume Catholic School in Beacon Lough, which in 2014 was rated 'Outstanding'.

Low Fell has two specialist schools for students with additional educational needs.