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Alston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River Tyne. It is said to be the highest market town in the country, at about 1000 feet (300 m) above sea level. A trade directory of 1829 described the region as "a region of dreary wastes and narrow dales". Image File history File links Dot4gb. ...
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The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ...
The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ...
Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. ...
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ...
Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ...
The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ...
North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ...
Constituent country is an official term used to describe three of the four principal component parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK): England; Scotland; Wales. ...
Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD927 Area - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi - Water (%) Population...
This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ...
The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ...
Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ...
The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England into around forty areas, which were used for both administrative and general geographical demarcation for several hundreds of years. ...
Cumberland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ...
There are a number of policing agencies in the United Kingdom. ...
Cumbria Constabulary is the Home Office police force in England covering the county of Cumbria. ...
This is a list of ambulance services in the United Kingdom: Ambulance services in England: Category: ...
The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warners plans to reduce the number of NHS ambulance service trusts operating in the United Kingdom to 12. ...
A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ...
UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ...
The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ...
The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ...
Penrith and The Border is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...
The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the building The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...
North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 302 KB)Alston, Cumbria, from the northwest (photo taken 29th May 2005). ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 302 KB)Alston, Cumbria, from the northwest (photo taken 29th May 2005). ...
Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ...
Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ...
Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD927 Area - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi - Water (%) Population...
The River Tyne can refer to two rivers in the United Kingdom: River Tyne, England River Tyne, Scotland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The market town is a medieval phenomenon. ...
Geography The town lies on the confluence of the South Tyne and the River Nent. The landscape of the area is built up from limestone, sandstone and shale. The area is rich in mineral in particular lead deposits. The Tyne looking west and upstream from the Newcastle bank towards the Gateshead Millennium Bridge The Tyne Bridge across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead. ...
Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...
Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ...
Shale Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ...
The landscape has been heavily influenced by the effects of varying methods of mining over the centuries.
Nearby villages include Garrigill and Nenthead. Garrigill Village Green Garrigill, Cumbria is a small village in the North Pennine region of the UK sitiuated on the banks and close to the source of the River South Tyne. ...
The small village of Nenthead in the county of Cumbria is Englands highest village at 1500 feet. ...
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 excavated in 1935 (2 miles or 3 kilometres NNW of Alston at Kirkhaugh), these were dated between 2000 BC and 1700 BC. Burial of Oleg of Novgorod in a tumulus in 912. ...
(Redirected from 2000 BC) (21st century BC - 20th century BC - 19th century BC - other centuries) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 - 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt 2000 BC -- Farmers and herders travel south from Ethiopia and settle in Kenya. ...
(Redirected from 1700 BC) (18th century BC - 17th century BC - 16th century BC - other centuries) (1690s BC - 1680s BC - 1670s BC - 1660s BC - 1650s BC - 1640s BC - 1630s BC - 1620s BC - 1610s BC - 1600s BC - 1590s BC - other decades) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 1700...
Evidence of Roman activity in the area comes from the earth remains of Whitley Castle, thought to be the Roman fort of Eppiacum built and rebuilt by the Sixth and Twentieth Legions between the second and third centuries. The fort's main purpose was to extract and protect lead and silver deposits in the upper reaches of the south Tyne valley. The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ...
The River Tyne can refer to two rivers in the United Kingdom: River Tyne, England River Tyne, Scotland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
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. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...
Tynedale is a local government district in south-west Northumberland. ...
In 1085 the Barons de Vertiponte 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 which concluded that the miners of the area were distinct from the local population thus paying their dues to the English crown instead of Scotland. As a result the miners lived in their own self regulated communities under English protection. In England, Lord of the Manor is a feudal title. ...
In 1269 John Balliol, the king of Scotland invaded the north of England, as a result of this Edward 1st moved to reclaim the Scottish estates and Tynedale which included Alston Moor was taken into direct control of the English crown where it remains. John Balliol and his wife. ...
Edward I (June 17, 1239 – July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch (1. ...
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. Hexhamshire was a historic county of northern England. ...
Northumberland is a county in northern England. ...
Cumberland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ...
Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ...
Mining Historically the area has been mined for lead, silver, zinc, coal and fluorspar. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Atomic mass 65. ...
Coal (previously referred to as pitcoal or seacoal) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ...
Octahedral fluorite crystals from New Mexico, USA Fluorite (also called fluor-spar or Blue John) is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. ...
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, Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England, some 16 km from the border with Scotland. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ...
Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ...
A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ...
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. ...
The biggest mine owner in the area was the London Lead Company; this Quaker organisation with enlightened employment policies established an interest in the area during the early 1700s. 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, four miles away. The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ...
The small village of Nenthead in the county of Cumbria is Englands highest village at 1500 feet. ...
The last mines closed in the 1950s.
Modern industry The area is no longer actively mined although the mining history is exploited for tourism purposes.
Farming The moorland is mainly used for sheep farming however many farmers also have other enterprises, such as bed and breakfast accommodation Heaths are anthropogenic habitats found primarily in northern and western Europe, where they have been created by thousands of years of human clearance of natural forest vegetation by grazing and burning on mainly infertile acidic soils. ...
Tourism Tourism is now a key source of income for the area and shopping is remarkably good for such a small place. Shops include a wholefood shop, a Co-op supermarket, a vegetable shop, two butchers, a newsagent's which also sells hardware, an outdoor clothing shop, an organic bakery and a number of craft, gift and antique shops. It has been suggested that Co-op (supermarket) be merged into this article or section. ...
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 Precision Products ([1]), a company that was started in 1947 by William (Bill) Ball. The company produces stainless steel and super-alloy castings, employing around 65 workers.
Population The population census figures show that at its peak during 1831 the population of Alston Moor was 6858 people. Today that figure is about 2000.
There is a community website at: www.Cybermoor.org. The website is a result of the Cybermoor Project which has brought the internet to almost every home on Alston Moor, and broadband to many. 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. IEEE 802. ...
Landmarks and buildings of note
Town hall The 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 some local administration offices.
Construction of the neo-gothic building started in 1857 when Hugh Lee Pattinson laid the foundation stone. The architecture was designed by A.B. Higham and the estimated costs were £2000, although the final costs were closer to £3000; these were paid for by public subscription. Neo-gothic architecture is an American branch of the Gothic revival style that was imported from England in the 1830s. ...
Market cross Although the town does not hold regular market it still maintains the legal right to do so. The market cross which acts as a focal point in the centre of town was constructed in 1983 to replace one constructed in 1863 after it was hit by a truck.
Nent force During the area's peak of prosperity in 1776 John Smeaton began construction of an underground drain to assist with the transport of extracted materials as well as locate new mineral seams. The canal took 66 years to construct at a cost of £80,000, and became known as "Smeatons Folly". In the 1830s mine manager and engineer said that it could be visited "in boats 30 feet in length, which are propelled in four feet of water by means of sticks projecting from the sides of the level; and thus may be enjoyed the singular novelty of sailing a few miles underground". It was intended to be 9 feet square but in the softer terrain was extended to 9'x16', dead level for 3.75 miles (6 km) to allow boat use, with a rise of 35 fathoms (64 m) at Lovelady Shield and then driven into the Nenthead ground. The amount of ore found was disappointing, though not insignificant. Portrait of John Smeaton, with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the background. ...
A fathom is a unit of measure equal to 2 yards or 6 feet, or 1. ...
Access to the Nent force level is currently extremely difficult although efforts have been made to develop a heritage centre to make this extraordinary piece of engineering accessible to the public.
Samuel King's School As well as having a primary school, the town is host to England's smallest secondary school (an 11–16 comprehensive) Samuel King's School. Alston Moor has a second small primary school at Nenthead.
2005: Alston in crisis? In August 2005, Alston made national, and indeed international, news headlines regarding the town's apparent lack of womenfolk. The news reports claim a ratio of 10 men to every woman in the town. A group of young men from Alston, led by a Mr. Vince Peart, began distributing leaflets across the north of England and set up a website, all in an effort to persuade women to come to Alston to find love. Articles appeared in the Guardian, the Mirror, the Telegraph, the Times, the Evening Times, the Standard (Belgium), Libero News (Italy), Bizarre Nieuws (Holland), Corriere Della Sera (Italy), and on the BBC. Vince Peart (born September 30th 1983) is the founder of the Alston Moor Regeneration Society, in Alston, Cumbria. ...
Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands. ...
The 2001 census reported 1070 men and 1086 women in the parish of Alston Moor. Alston Moor is a moor and civil parish in Cumbria, England, based around the small town of Alston. ...
A documentary is due to show on Channel 4 on 11 October 2006 at 10pm. A documentary is a work in a visual or auditory medium presenting political, scientific, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner. ...
Channel 4 is a public service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ...
Transport The area is stationed on a number of routes including the long distance footpath, the Pennine Way, and the C2C Cycle Route. The Pennine Way is a long-distance footpath in England. ...
This article or section should be merged with NCN C2C The Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C) is Britains most popular long-distance cycle route and is based on minor roads, disused railway lines, off-road tracks and specially constructed cycle paths. ...
The town's rail link to Haltwhistle was completed in 1852 by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway Company. The closure of the line was announced in 1973 and the line closed on 1st May 1976. Part of the route, between Alston and Kirkhaugh, two and a quarter miles in length, is now operated as the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway. The railway is particularly popular with tourists and passenger trains operate between April and October, with Santa Special trains operating on certain dates in December each year. For further details see the South Tynedale Railway website at www.strps.org.uk Map sources for Haltwhistle at grid reference NY7064 Haltwhistle is a town in Northumberland, England, situated ten miles east of Brampton, near Hadrians Wall. ...
Polish locomotive. ...
Many of the bus services to and from Alston are operated by Wright Brothers Coaches, this company has depots at Nenthead, three miles from Alston and at Blucher, near Newcastle upon Tyne. The earliest route between Nenthead and Alston started during the First World War, when Mary Wright linked the village of Nenthead with the nearby market town of Alston using a pony and trap. Mary started to make a bit of money, so one of her sons, Tom, spent his gratuity from the army on a Model T Ford. In 1924 brothers George and John joined the business which was then registered, and a larger Ford was purchased. This marked the start of bus services in the area. More details about this coach company is contained on their website at www.wrightbros.co.uk
Wright Bros Coaches is perhaps best known for its 82 mile route which links Newcastle with Keswick via Hexham, Haydon Bridge, Alston and Penrith operating during the Summer months from July to September each year.
Further reading A history of Alston Moor by Alastair Robertson ISBN 0-9547339-1-6
Screensavers of Alston by Sam Burt are available to download from here
Related websites Coordinates: 54°48′N 2°26′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
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