From here we virtually freewheeled down into Alston, ‘the highest market town in England’ and the confluence of the River South Tyne. The town is built on the side of a hill, providing spectacular views into the surrounding countryside and the Pennine landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Despite our longish journey we discovered we were still in the Eden Valley. It’s at a similar height to Buxton in Derbyshire.
We had no choice but to visit one of the town’s cafes where Annabel had her daily coffee fix. We were amazed at the huge variety of cakes. Wandering around the town with its cobbled streets was a real pleasure and felt almost like stepping back in time. The church, St Augustine of Canterbury, was well worth a visit boasting an antique clock of considerable proportions. Apparently the local secondary school is the smallest in England. The graveyard was also picturesque
We found a lane leading out of the village and walked along the delightful River Nent past numerous cascades described as waterfalls on the OS map.
We noticed large various wild flowers but were rather stumped by finding what appeared to be pansies. We weren’t sure if they were wild or whether someone had planted some seeds.
After eating our delicious pastie lunches we made our way back to the town and eventually made our way back home.
Another pleasant day in our new home.
P.S. The Eden Valley and the local Pennine hills are host to the Helm Wind, the only named wind in the country. Cloud layers often bank up over the ridge, looking quite threatening. (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/wind/helm-wind)
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