Alston is England’s highest market town, located in the North Pennines in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounded by a distinctive scenery of moorland, hills, rivers, and waterfalls. This beautiful town, with its cobblestone alleys and odd nooks and crannies, was the setting for ITV’s Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist plays. Alston and the North Pennines have long inspired artists and writers; W H Auden, the poet and writer, adored the area, and it continues to inspire the craftspeople who live and work there today. The town has a variety of unique shops, including fine crafts and galleries. Take a ride on the South Tynedale Railway, which runs from Alston to Slaggyford, on one of the carefully restored steam and diesel engines through the lovely countryside of the South Tyne valley. The River Tyne is also known as one of England’s best salmon rivers, with day-ticket fishing accessible in the area. The Killhope Lead Mining Museum in the North Pennines used to be one of Europe’s wealthiest lead mining centres, and it’s a terrific family day out with interactive exhibitions. The A686 is rated as one of the best drives in the world by the Automobile Association, and northern Cumbria, County Durham, and Northumberland are all within easy driving distance.
