The town of Allendale was once the centre of a busy lead mining area, and many relics of the mining era remain around the area. Allendale is ideally placed for access to Carlisle and Lake District to the west, Hexham, Newcastle and Durham to the east and the Hadrian’s Wall just to the north, as well as the Scottish Borders. There are lots of walks, cycling opportunities and unspoilt villages in the surrounding North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is an ideal location for exploring the surrounding countryside or travelling further north to the glorious Heritage Coastline. Allendale is home to the New Year tradition of Tar Bar’ls well worthing seeing or visit in the autumn to visit the Allen Valleys Folk Festival. Furthermore Allendale is a popular stay for cyclists carrying out the Coast to Coast.