Deckham

An 1895 Ordnance Survey Map of the early Deckham settlement (marked in red) on which Deckhall Hall and the two public houses are clearly evidenced

Unlike Sheriff Hill, Carr Hill and Low Fell, Deckham's history is sparsely recorded. It indicates that, by the middle of the 19th century, there was a small settlement[1] which was part of Gateshead Fell; a wild and treacherous area of common land[2] notable for the criminality of the tinkers and hawkers who lived there.[3] Ordnance survey mapping illustrates the sparsity of buildings in 1860; the area contained little except Deckham Hall, a few other dwellings and two public houses[4] at the point where the old turnpike road[note 1] branched off towards Carr's Hill.[1] The two public houses were the 'Speed the Plough'[5] and 'The Ship'.[4]

The Deckham Hall estate was on the east side of Old Durham Road, 1.25 miles from the Tyne Bridge.[6][7] It is evidenced in 1614 and belonged to Thomas Deckham,[8] who died the same year and bequeathed it to his granddaughter[9] with "three pounds for the bringing home of water" to the poor people of the area.[7] It changed hands regularly between the families Wooler, James and Bowker,[7] in the centuries after Deckham's death and varied in size whilst doing so.[6] Alderman Benjamin Biggar, Mayor of Gateshead 1861–2, is thought to have lived at Deckham Hall.[10]

The 19th-century Tyneside flats in Northborne Street

By the turn of the 20th century Deckham's rural aspect had changed. Whilst there remained large areas of grass and woodland between Deckham and Gateshead, there was a period of extensive building; several dozen dwellings were erected by 1895 in the Mount Pleasant area as Gateshead expanded southwards.[11] A public house was built at the junction of Taylor Terrace and Split Crow Road.[12] Two years later, a tract of Tyneside flats was built on the west side of the Old Durham Road and many streets in the area, such as Chandos Street, Shipcote Terrace, Raby Street and Northborne Street, are evidenced, along with an unnamed school.[13] By 1919, some rural scenes could still be enjoyed[14] but the fields were "rapidly encroached upon" in the 1920s and 1930s[14] and replaced with more terraced housing at Caris Street, Fullerton Place and Methuen Street and large tracts of council houses.[15] By this time, Deckham Hall was in a state of disrepair and was notable to residents for its resemblance to a haunted house "because of its air of gloom and the strange echoes to be heard on windy nights".[16] The hall was demolished in 1930[17] and more council houses were erected on the site.[18]

Hendon Road

Since the intensive period of house building, little has changed. At the west end of the suburb, the Tyneside flats at Northborne Street and surrounding streets remain in situ and here there is "housing and little else".[19] Much of this housing is in poor condition, some is in "crumbling disrepair" and requires substantial investment.[20][21][22] Old Durham Road has developed into the focal point of the neighbourhood[23] and is the sole commercial area, with small, independent shops running along the western end of the road backing onto the streets from Inskip Terrace and Shipcote Terrace.[24] Whilst many retail units are in a state of deterioration,[25] and despite a report describing recent housing development on the east side of Old Durham Road as "poorly handled and unsightly",[26] the area remains "interesting and lively".[27] By contrast, the central and eastern areas of Deckham are affected by a more marked decline. At the western edge there are stone remnants of an old, rural settlement,[27] but the remainder, grouped around Edgeware and Kingston Roads, consists of bland, repetitive social housing arranged on long, curved streets which combine to create an environment which is anonymous, claustrophobic and disorientating.[27] One source describes the environment as one where "eyesores become landmarks (lock–up workshops on Kingston Road), any slight change in materials becomes significant (system–built housing on Kingston Road), and any attempt to do something different becomes a relief (a corner garden on Mayfair Gardens)".[27]

The net result is that, in Deckham today:

There is something of a sense of isolation in parts of Deckham, especially further up the hill as development densities drop, commercial and social facilities disappear and activity levels on the street fall away. Around the Old Durham Road the surviving mix of small shops and meeting places generate some impression of communal spirit, but the poor condition of many properties and the dominance of the public realm by traffic serve to stunt it.[28]

The shopping area on Old Durham Road is the economic hub of the area.

Unlike Sheriff Hill, Deckham was not founded on heavy industry. It developed primarily for its ease of access to the turnpike road, the principle route between Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne which ran through it.[29] There is evidence of coal mining; the Durham Mining Museum has a record for 'Deckham Hall Colliery'.[30] Few records of the colliery survive, and it is difficult to ascertain when it opened, but the colliery was located 1.5 miles south from Newcastle[30] and was in the hands of Hopper, Hughes and Company in 1886.[31] By December 1893 the colliery had been abandoned as being "not workable to a profit".[32]

In common with most suburbs of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, its economy is dominated by the economies of Newcastle–upon–Tyne and Gateshead town centre.[33] This is reflected in terms of independent commercial space; retail floor space in the suburb totals 1% of that available in the whole metropolitan borough.[34] There are 33 retail units concentrated on Old Durham Road, which provide some employment, though these are at the lower end of the spectrum and provide little choice.[35] There is a good provision of hardware stores, fast–food outlets and hairdressers, a butcher's shop, a greengrocer and a supermarket, but there is no bakery, bank nor building society and the Post Office has closed.[36] The retail units were domestic properties, so many are too small for retail purposes and around 20% are vacant.[37]

Deckham suffers from high levels of unemployment; in 2011 the mean percentage of the population claiming Jobseekers Allowance was 7%. This compares to Gateshead's 5% average over the same period.[38] Youth unemployment is 10%, compared to Gateshead's 9%.[39]

From the southern end of Old Durham Road, the steep slope north towards central Gateshead is apparent and the cityscape of Newcastle upon Tyne is clearly visible.

Deckham, at latitude 54.95° N and longitude 1.59 ° W, lies less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south and east of Gateshead town centre between two main transport corridors; Sunderland Road to the east and Old Durham Road to the west.[40] The distance from Deckham to London is 255 miles (410 km). Deckham occupies an elevated position, especially at its north end which sits on a ridge,[41] and some parts are steeply sloped– notably those which border Sheriff Hill to the south.[40]

In the urban expansion of Gateshead, Deckham was enveloped so that its exact boundaries are difficult to define.[6] The estate had boundaries at Split Crow Road, Old Durham Road, Hendon Road and Carr Hill Road[6] but documents indicate that Deckham stretches to Durham Road in the west and the streets adjoining Hendon Road as far north as the Bankies open space at Mount Pleasant.[42] In 1974 Deckham was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead by the Local Government Act 1972. Until its implementation, Deckham was part of County Durham.[43] It is now bordered by settlements which are part of the metropolitan borough. These are Sheriff Hill to the south, Low Fell and Shipcote to the west, Gateshead to the north and Felling and Carr Hill to the east.[44]

Deckham has distinctive, steep topography which "shapes the character" of the suburb.[45] Though the urbanisation of Gateshead has detracted from panoramic views that were once enjoyed by residents, the topography ensures that residents continue to have excellent views towards Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the Team Valley.[46]

Deckham is a council ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. It is approximately 1.5 square kilometres (0.58 sq mi) in area and has a population of 9,228.[48] It is represented by three councillors. In June 2012, they were Brian Coates, Martin Gannon and Bernadette Oliphant.[49]

Deckham is part of the Westminster parliamentary constituency of Gateshead. It was previously in the Gateshead East and Washington West constituency which was abolished by boundary changes before the 2010 UK General Election.[50] For many years the MP was Joyce Quin, who retired on 11 April 2005 and was awarded a life peerage into the House of Lords on 13 June 2006[51] and is now Baroness Quin.

The present MP Ian Mearns, is a member of the Labour party and his office is in Gateshead.[52] He replaced Sharon Hodgson who successfully campaigned in the newly formed constituency of Washington and Sunderland West.[53] In the 2010 UK General Election, Mearns was elected with a majority of 12,549 over Frank Hindle. The swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats was 3.9%.[54]

Deckham is in a safe Labour seat. Mearns' success in 2010 followed of Sharon Hodgson, who in the 2005 UK General Election polled over 60% of the votes cast[55] whilst in 2001, Joyce Quin was returned with a majority of 53.3%.[56]

According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, Deckham has a population of 9,228– 51.5% of the population are female, slightly above the national average, whilst 48.5% are male.[59] Only 2% of the population are from a black or other minority ethnic group (BME), as opposed to 9.1% of the national population.[58][59] Of the BME group, 35% are from the Asian or Asian–British ethnic group.[60] Deckham has a high proportion of lone parent households at some 15% of all households.[61] This is the third highest figure in Gateshead and compares with a borough average of 11.5%.[61][62] Some 31% of households have dependent children, as opposed to 29.5% nationally and 28.4% in Gateshead.[61] The Index of Multiple Deprivation, which divides England into 32,482 areas and measures quality of life to indicate deprivation, splits Deckham into halves and lists the western half, along with Carr Hill and Sheriff Hill, in the top 10% of all deprived areas in England in 2012. The eastern half is in the top 5% of deprived areas.[59]

In 2011 however, the ethnic minority population increased rapidly. In 2001, 96.8% of Deckham's population were white British, this figure reduced to 92.3% white British in 2011. Also, the population increased massively too, from 7,886 in 2001 to 9,938 in 2011. 88.8% of adults in lone parent households with independent children were women.[63][64]

In 2011, 7.7% of Deckham's population were non white British. This is above average for the Metropolitan borough of Gateshead, but below average for the town of Gateshead which Deckham forms a part of.

[63]

Deckham is situated to the east of Gateshead town centre. It is also split into three sub districts, Central Deckham, Mount Pleasant and Carr Hill.

There are no libraries in Deckham, though Gateshead Central Library, the largest library in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, is nearby.[82] Gateshead Leisure Centre in Shipcote and Saltwell Park are close by.[83]

The Elgin Centre

Entrance to the Elgin Centre

The Elgin Centre is on Elgin Road at the south–east boundary between Deckham and Carr Hill. Whilst geographically outside Deckham, the centre provides "the key cluster" of community provisions for its residents.[84] These facilities contribute to the regeneration of the suburb.[85][86]

The facilities are utilized by the Route 26 Community Project; a registered charity based at the centre[87] which aims to work towards the betterment of lives in Deckham and neighbouring wards.[88] The project works with Gateshead Council and the Gateshead Housing Company to provide a community cafe promoting healthy eating (the 'T–Junction'), a gymnasium, indoor sports hall, outdoor Five-a-side football pitches and a meeting place for resident groups. The project has education provision for young children as a registered day–care provider[89] and it also offers adult education and training.[90][91] The project hosts the 'Carnival on the Hill/Deckham Festival'; a collaborative enterprise between Route 26, Gateshead Council and Home Group which offers free activities, such as go-karting and children's soft play, against the backdrop of a steel band.[92] The second Deckham Festival was held on 3 September 2011 and attracted over one thousand visitors, including Mayor of Gateshead and BBC local weatherman Paul Mooney.[93][94]

The principal road, the B1296, extends southwards from the Gateshead Roundabout uphill into Deckham.

The suburb is crossed by the B1296 Old Durham Road,[95] a commuter road[96] and route of the Great North Road before it was diverted through Low Fell on the route of the A167.[97] Journey time by car or bus to Gateshead town centre is approximately 5 minutes, and 10–12 minutes into the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne.[98]

Deckham is in a "metro corridor" so that it is broadly equidistant from Gateshead Metro station and Gateshead Stadium Metro station.[99]

Deckham is on a major bus route into Gateshead; and Old Durham Road is a "bus priority route".[100] The suburb is served by several bus services, such as the Fab 56[101] which continues into Sunderland, the Citylink 57[102] which terminates at Wardley and the CityLink 58.[103] It is also part of the Qualyink Q1/Q2 network.[104] Services to intu MetroCentre[105] and Chester-le-Street[106] also run through and stop in the area. All buses serving Deckham are operated by Go North East under the administration of Nexus.[107]

List of buses serving Deckham[108]

Route	To	Via	Frequency	Route Name
Q1	Newcastle, Central Station	Felling Square, Heworth Interchange, Wrekenton, Low Fell, Gateshead Interchange, Quayside	every fifteen minutes		Quaylink
Q2	Gateshead Interchange
28	Newcastle, Eldon Square	Gateshead Interchange	hourly		Waggonway 28
	Chester-le-Street	Sheriff Hill, Wrekenton, Birtley
56	Newcastle Pilgrim Street	Gateshead Interchange	every twelve minutes		Fab 56
	Park Lane Interchange	Sheriff Hill, Wrekenton, Concord, Washington
57	Newcastle Pilgrim Street	Gateshead Interchange	every twenty minutes		Citylink 57
	Wardley	Sheriff Hill, Beacon Lough, Leam Lane Estate
58	Heworth Interchange	Felling, Windy Nook, Leam Lane Estate	every ten minutes		Citylink 58
	Hadrian Park	Gateshead Interchange, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, A1058 Coast Road
67	intu MetroCentre	Bensham, Dunston	hourly		Go North East 67
	Wardley	Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Leam Lane Estate

The entrance to South Street Primary School; the only school in Deckham.

South Street Community Primary School at the northern end of Deckham in Cramer Street and caters for pupils in the 3–11 age range.[109] The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above the national average.[109] In the most recent OFSTED inspection, the nursery provision was praised for enabling children who enter the school with skills below that expected of similarly–aged children nationwide to achieve well through a stimulating and engaging curriculum[110] and the nursery provision was good overall.[111] The primary provision was praised for providing a safe and engaging learning environment in which children are able to progress to a level broadly comparable with children nationally and where pupils are extremely well behaved.[111] In all inspection categories, the primary provision was judged good.[112]

South Street Primary is the only school in Deckham. Some children of primary–school age, particularly those living in the east of Deckham, attend nearby Carr Hill Primary School instead.[113]

Deckham compares unfavourably with the wider Gateshead area in respect of adults with educational qualifications. 43% of adults have no educational qualifications, compared to 38.4% across the whole of Gateshead and the England average of 28.9%.[114][115] Only 17% of adults have five or more GCSE's or equivalent at A*–C (compared to 36.9% across Gateshead and 47.6% nationally) whilst 6% of adults in the suburb have two or more A-Level's (or equivalent).[114][116]