Alston

Alston is a small stone town high in the North Pennines, about 1,000 feet above sea level, and it shares with Buxton the title of highest market town in England. Its Front Street climbs steeply on setts past old shops and inns to the market cross, and the whole place has the sturdy, weather proofed look of a town that knows hard winters.

It grew on lead mining, and the moors around it, particularly at Nenthead a few miles south east, are full of the remains of the industry. The South Tynedale Railway, a narrow gauge line, runs from the old Alston station along the valley of the South Tyne, and is the town's biggest attraction. The Pennine Way passes through, and Alston Moor offers big, empty walking.

Getting here is half the fun. The A686 from Penrith climbs over Hartside, one of the great roads of England, with a view back over the Eden Valley to the Lakeland fells. The roads from Brampton and from Weardale are almost as good, and the climbs are famous among cyclists. The best time to come is late spring to early autumn, when the moors are full of birdsong and the railway is running; on a clear day the view west from Hartside to the Lakeland fells is one of the best in the county.

Weather is the catch. Hartside and the other high roads can close with snow in winter and be in cloud at any time of year. Facilities are limited and the town is quiet in the evenings. A monthly Saturday market runs beside the Co-op.