Team Valley facts for kids
Team Valley is a busy business area in Gateshead, a town in the United Kingdom. It's like a big park where many different companies have their offices and factories. You'll also find a large shopping area called Retail World here, with lots of well-known shops. In 2017, about 700 companies were based in Team Valley, providing jobs for around 20,000 people!
Right next to Team Valley is a living area called The Teams, which is close to Dunston.
Team Valley's History
In the 1930s, the government decided to create a special industrial area in Gateshead. They spent a lot of money, nearly £2 million, to build the Team Valley Trading Estate. It was designed to be a very organized place for businesses.
The main architect for this project was William Holford, and Hugh Beaver was the chief engineer. They planned it carefully.
Building the Estate
The plan included a main office building, which is now used by a group called English Partnerships. There was also a bank, a post office, and several factory buildings. Some smaller units were built for new businesses just starting out.
All these buildings were placed along a wide main road called Kingsway, which is almost 2 miles long. Work on Team Valley began in May 1936, and the very first factory opened just a few months later in October of that year. The company Wimpey Construction built the estate, and it took a couple of years to finish, being completed in 1938.
The official opening of Team Valley happened on 22 February 1939. King George VI himself came to open it!
Changes Over Time
The southern part of Team Valley used to be where the National Coal Board had its main offices. This board looked after the coal mines. But after the mines in the area closed, a large supermarket (first Safeway, now Sainsbury's) was built there instead.
The River Team actually flows right through the middle of the Team Valley business area. It's hidden away in a special underground tunnel called a culvert.
Getting Around Team Valley
Team Valley is located next to the East Coast Main Line. This is a very important railway line that connects big cities like London, York, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Edinburgh. Long ago, until 1952, there was a train station nearby called Low Fell.
Today, the closest train station is Dunston. You can also get to the Tyne & Wear Metro at Gateshead Interchange, which is a station for the local train system.
Local buses also serve Team Valley. The bus company Go North East has regular services, like the 93 and 94 routes, which go around Gateshead. During busy times, other services are also available, helped by Nexus, a local transport group.
