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Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines Index 40. The Town of Alston in Cumbria (highest town in England)
Alston is the highest town in England at 0ver 1000 feet above sea level in the glorious wild heather covered countryside of the North Pennines of the North of England, in the Eden District of East Cumbria in the South Tyne Valley. As you come into Alston from the beautiful drive up Teesdale on the B6277 Middleton-in-Teesdale and Langdon Beck road or the A689 from Stanhope, you pass on your left the Quaker's Friends Meeting House.
Alston, an unspoilt town, is well worth a visit with lots of small independent shops (no chain stores here!) and lots of cafes and pubs to eat and drink in. It has many 17th century stone built buildings. The Market Square and Market Cross are centre stage and the spire of St Augustine's Church towering over the houses around the town centre.
There are several good cafes in the fine old buildings in the town centre.
There are also some good pubs in similar fine old buildings like the Turks Head which is reputed to be the oldest tavern in Alston.
The distinctive Market Cross with its all weather roof covering!
The structure of Alston's steep main street retains its cobbled surface.
The old 'inn/pub/tavern?' of the Turk's Head stands by the Market Cross (on the right of Market Square and Market Cross).
Looking up the cobbled main street to the Market Cross and Market Square.
The Parish Church of St. Augustine, Alston. There may have been a Saxon Church before the Norman Conquest but the current churches origins lie in the later 12th century. The medieval-Norman church was pulled down and rebuilt between 1763-1770, but this in turn was demolished and a new church built in 1870, so nothing remains of the prior ancient buildings.
There are more 'old' buildings, including a pub, The Angel Inn, just down on the right from the Parish Church.
The building on the right is dated 1681, the Angel Inn 1611 and the white building on the left 1687.
The splendid building of the former Town Hall is now a very good tourist and information centre. Historically, the surrounding hills have been mined for silver, lead, coal and anthracite since Roman Times but this gradually died out in the 19th century but sheep farming has been a constant source of income. |
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