Rowlands Gill
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Rowlands Gill is an old coal mining village on the north side of the River Derwent, in the borough of Gateshead. It is located in the green belt of Gateshead. The village has a picturesque setting with much open space and views across the valley to Gibside, the estate now owned by the National Trust.
Over the second half of the twentieth century, Rowlands Gill has become quite a wealthy area with many of Gateshead's foremost citizens living there. This expansion was largely due to the development of detached houses of Dominies Close in the late 1980s. It has two florists but unfortunately no pub, after 'The Towneley Arms' was demolished in 2002 to make way for apartments. Furthermore the village is home to a branch of the international supermarket chain Tesco, Halifax and Lloyds TSB. The Derwent Park provides access to the river as well as tennis courts, sanity putting, recreational fields and playground facilities. The park also has a caravan park. The village has access to the Derwent Country Walk.
The village's 'In Bloom Committee' is very active and has entered the Britain in Bloom competition over the past 3 or 4 years in the 'Large Village' category. The participation is boasted by signs marking the village.
Formerly connected to the railway, the village is still busy with transport with a heavily used road running through. There are frequent bus services to Newcastle City Centre, the MetroCentre and, in the other direction, Blackhall Mill and Medomsley.
Rowlands Gill has a very successful primary school. The Infant and Junior schools have now amalgamated but were originally based on two sites. This primary school is the feeder school for Hookergate School, just under 3 miles away, in High Spen.