Alston is a town in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, within the civil parish of Alston Moor. It is located at about above sea level in the North Pennines, the River South Tyne, and shares the title of 'highest market town in England', with Buxton, Derbyshire. Despite its relative isolation, the town has road connections to the Tyne Gap to the north, Weardale and Teesdale to the south-east, and Penrith to the south-west.
Much of the town centre is a designated conservation area which includes several listed buildings. It was historically within the county of Cumberland. Alston was historically a centre for mining, with lead, zinc, iron, copper, and coal found in the vicinity.
Geography
Alston lies within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, more than by road from the nearest town, Haltwhistle, and is surrounded by moorland."Alston and the North Pennines" , Eden District Council, accessed 26 July 2010 Nearby villages include Garrigill and Nenthead. It is around west of Newcastle upon Tyne, south east of Carlisle, north east of Penrith, and south west of Hexham.
Situated at the crossroads/junction of the A686, A689 and B6277, the town lies on the confluence of the River South Tyne and the River Nent. On 18 May 2013 very heavy rain resulted in flooding in seven areas of Alston, affecting thirty-six properties. The Environment Agency records indicate that 51mm of rain fell that day.Cumbria County Council 'Alston Flood Investigation Report no 81' Draft 16.7.2014 (available in Alston Library)
The landscape of the area is built up from limestone, sandstone and shale. The area is rich in minerals, in particular lead deposits, and the landscape has been heavily influenced by the effects of varying methods of mining over the centuries.
Climate This town has a cool and relatively rainy oceanic climate (Cfb, according to the Köppen climate classification), with mild summers and chilly winters, with snowfalls. It is one of the coldest and snowiest inhabited places in England.
There are some ski-tows on the northwest slopes of Burnhope Seat, a hill situated away from Alston. This forms the Yad Moss ski facility, which has been upgraded by Sport England.
Alston holds the record for the lowest temperature reported in Cumbria. The temperature fell to on 17 January 1881. Additionally, the town also holds the record for the lowest temperature ever reported on 7 March in the United Kingdom, at in 1886. This was also the coldest temperature reported anywhere in the United Kingdom in 1886. The town also reported the coldest temperature in the UK in 1883, at on 15 March of that year. Furthermore, Alston also holds the record for highest temperature reported in the UK on 8 November, at in 1881.
There is no official Met Office weather station in Alston; the nearest and most appropriate station is approximately 27 kilometers (16.8 miles) away, near Warcop. In reality, the climate of Alston is likely to be slightly cooler and slightly wetter than the values in the table below imply, being approximately 70 m (230 ft) higher in elevation above mean sea level.
History
Early settlements The earliest evidence of population in the area comes from pottery fragments, a gold basket-earring and flint tools found in one of two barrows located NNW of Alston at Kirkhaugh. Excavated in 1935, the barrows were dated between 2000 BC and 1700 BC.
Evidence of Roman activity in the area comes from the earth ramparts of Whitley Castle, thought to be the Roman fort (Castra) of Epiacum built and rebuilt by the Sixth and Twentieth Legions between the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The fort lies on the Maiden Way Roman road which runs north from Kirkby Thore (Bravoniacum) to Carvoran (Magnae) on Hadrian's Wall. Whitley Castle would have guarded this central supply route to Hadrian's Wall, and may also have helped protect lead and silver deposits in the upper reaches of the South Tyne valley.
The name of the town is recorded in 1164–71 as Aldeneby and in 1209 as Aldeneston,Mills, David. A Dictionary of British Place-Names. OUP Oxford. 2011. and seems to mean "the settlement or farmstead belonging to [a Viking man named] Halfdan".
By 1841 the town had 1,650 inhabitants.
Sovereignty In the 10th century, Alston Moor was part of the Liberty of Tynedale, which was an estate of the Scottish Kings within England, a situation that resulted in many years of confusion over the sovereignty of the area.
In 1085, the Barons de Veteriponte became the first recorded Lords of the Manor; they held the moor on behalf of the kings of Scotland while the kings of England retained the mineral rights. This was confirmed in a hearing during 1279 that concluded that the miners of the area were distinct from the local population, thus paying their dues to the English crown instead of to Scotland. As a result, the miners lived in their own self-regulated communities under English protection.
In 1296 John de Balliol, the king of Scotland, invaded the North of England; as a result Edward I moved to reclaim the Scottish estates and Tynedale, which included Alston Moor, was taken under direct control of the English crown where it remains.
Despite the town being on the Tyne and being historically part of Tynedale, the area has never been part of either Hexhamshire or Northumberland but part of Cumberland and later Cumbria. This was probably because the mines in the area were at one time administered from Carlisle.
Mining Historically the area has been mined for lead, zinc, iron, copper, and coal. The nearby Roman fort of Whitley Castle (Epiacum) may in part have been sited to control and protect the lead mines there.
In the 13th century, the area was known as the silver mines of Carlisle — silver was found in a high proportion (up to 40 troy ounces per long ton or 1.2 g/kg of smelted lead) and was used to create coinage in the Royal Mint established in Carlisle for the purpose. Most mining was very small scale until the mid-18th century, with 119 lead mines in the parish of Alston in 1768.
The biggest mine owner in the area was the London Lead Company; this Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) organisation with enlightened employment policies established an interest in the area during the early 18th century. In 1745, it began construction of a school, a library, a sanitary house, a surgeon's house, a market hall with clock tower, a laundry and a 'ready-money' shop in Nenthead, away. By the 1840s the mines were producing an average of 7,600 tons of lead a year.The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge (1848), Vol V, p.151.
Many of the last mines closed in the 1950s. A small drift coal mine (Ayle Colliery) is still active today.
Governance Alston is in the parliamentary constituency of Penrith and Solway. Markus Campbell-Savours was elected its Labour Member of Parliament (MP) at the 2024 general election.
Before the United Kingdom left the European Union, its residents voted to elect Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for the North West England constituency.
For Local Government purposes Alston is in the Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. Until 1 April 2023 it was in the Alston Moor Ward of Eden District Council and the Alston and East Fellside Division of Cumbria County Council.
Alston does not have its own parish council, instead it is part of Alston Moor Parish Council.
Modern economy The area is no longer actively mined for precious metals although the mining history has been exploited for tourism purposes. There are few jobs in the immediate area, hence the fall in population from 1,650 in 1841 to 1,128 today.
Farming The surrounding moorland is mainly used for sheep farming; however many farmers also have other enterprises, such as bed and breakfast accommodation. During winter months farming can be tough, due to the severe weather in the area.
Tourism Tourism is now an important source of income for the area. The largest attraction is a narrow-gauge railway and heritage centre at South Tynedale Railway. Alston and the surrounding area is part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and European Geopark. Alston is noted for its cobbled streets and 17th-century stone buildings. The area's mining heritage has been referenced for tourism purposes across the North Pennines. Nenthead Mines, at the nearby village of Nenthead, is a Scheduled Monument managed by volunteers. The Nenthead Mines Conservation Society hold regular open days where visitors can learn about the history of lead mining and take an underground tour of Carrs Mine. The Pennine Way, the UK's first National Trail, passes by the edge of Alston and the Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C) passes through the town.
Shops and facilities Shops include a whole foods shop, a Co-op supermarket, a Spar convenience store, a shop selling hardware, a post office, an outdoor clothing shop, an organic bakery, a charity shop and a number of craft, gift and antique shops.
There are four pubs in Alston, and the town also has a number of cafés, a food take-away, a specialist engraving company, two hotels, an independent youth hostel, numerous B&Bs, two petrol stations, a gym, an estate agent and a hairdressers. A once-popular fish and chip shop closed down in November 2022.
The last remaining bank, Barclays, closed in December 2015.
Steam trains on the narrow-gauge South Tynedale Railway run from April to October.
Metal working For much of the 20th century, between 1940 and its closure in 1980, a foundry employed around 200 people. The closure of this foundry increased unemployment in the area from 8.9% to over 25%.
Currently the area's main employer is Bonds Precision Castings Limited, a company that took over Precision Products in 2008. Precision Products was started in 1947 by William George Ball. Bonds Precision Casting Ltd. produces stainless steel and super-alloy castings.
Population The population census figures show that at its peak during 1831 the population of the parish of Alston Moor was 6,858 people. Today that figure is about 1,200. The population of the town of Alston was 1,075 according to the 2021 Census. The community has its own website which is a result of the Cybermoor Project (cybermoor.org), which has brought the Internet to almost every home on Alston Moor, and broadband to many. This allowed people with little or no education access to online courses and training. The problem of the area's relative remoteness compared to other areas of England was solved by utilising IEEE 802.11 technology to construct the network infrastructure.
Notable residents Nicholas Ridley (d.1993), politician and government minister.
Landmarks and buildings of note
Town hall
Alston Town Hall is a focal point for the community, being a venue for many local social events. It also contains the tourist information centre and the public library. The Gothic Revival style building, which was commissioned by the local metallurgist and businessman Hugh Lee Pattinson, was completed in 1858.
Alston High Mill High Mill in the Cumbrian town of Alston was built in 1767 as a water-driven corn mill by the renowned engineer John Smeaton; Smeaton is famously known for his Eddystone Lighthouse.
The grade II listed High Mill has been through a number of alterations through the ages, but the original Smeaton design is still easily recognisable. Internally there is little left of the original building besides the water wheel and the pit wheel.
In July 2023, the High Mill and the adjoining factory building (once occupied by Bonds Precision Casting) was purchased by a private owner, and work is now underway to refurbish and restore the mill for use as an arts and crafts workshop. The building and mill wheel are Grade II listed, and part of the mill may be given over to a small museum showcasing the wheel and some of the artefacts associated with how it was used.
The Water Wheel at Alston High Mill