famous road
Hartside Pass (A686)
Voted one of Britain's best drives - a sweeping climb to 580m out of the Eden Valley with a panorama to the Lake District and the Solway.
6 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Alston
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Alston
Alston works well as a base: 20 minutes from Haltwhistle, 6km from Hartside Pass (A686).
Alston is in England, United Kingdom, with about 1,100 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Haltwhistle, about 18 km away.
Alston is a town in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, within the civil parish of Alston Moor. It is located at about 1,000 feet (300 m) 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 relativeRead more
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.
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Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Alston.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Alston?
Within an hour or so of Alston: Hartside Pass (A686) (6 km), Hartside Cafe (8 km), Hartside Pass (8 km), A689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale) (9 km).
Are there any good drives near Alston?
The nearest famous roads are Hartside Pass (A686), A689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale) and B6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall).
Where is Alston?
Alston is in England, United Kingdom, about 18 km from Haltwhistle.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,105
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.8090, -2.4393
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Alston
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
Hartside Cafe
A remote hilltop cafe at 1,904 feet on the A686 in Cumbria, one of England's highest road cafes and a bucket-list stop for bikers.
8 km · about 15 min drive
mountain pass
Hartside Pass
The A686's grand sweep over the North Pennines between Penrith and Alston, climbing to 580m through wide hairpins with views across the Eden Valley to the Lake District fells. A celebrated drivers' and bikers' road.
8 km · about 15 min drive
famous road
A689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale)
A remote high Pennine road over Killhope with wide moorland views and almost no traffic; England's highest market town at one end.
9 km · about 15 min drive
scenic viewpoint
High Cup Nick
A perfect U-shaped glacial valley in the North Pennines rimmed by dolerite columns, reached by a walk from Dufton.
21 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Vindolanda
An actively excavated Roman fort and settlement south of Hadrian's Wall, source of the Vindolanda writing tablets.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Sycamore Gap
A dip in Hadrian's Wall that held one of England's most photographed trees until it was felled in 2023; the site and its regrowth remain a pilgrimage.
22 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Steel Rigg
A car park and viewpoint on the Whin Sill giving the classic switchback view of Hadrian's Wall towards Sycamore Gap.
22 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Alston
12 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- Right hereHartside Pass (A686)Voted one of Britain's best drives - a sweeping climb to 580m out of the Eden Valley with a panorama to the Lake District and the Solway.
- Right hereHartside PassThe A686's grand sweep over the North Pennines between Penrith and Alston, climbing to 580m through wide hairpins with views across the Eden Valley to the Lake District fells. A celebrated drivers' and bikers' road.
- Right hereA689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale)A remote high Pennine road over Killhope with wide moorland views and almost no traffic; England's highest market town at one end.
- 21 kmHigh Cup NickA perfect U-shaped glacial valley in the North Pennines rimmed by dolerite columns, reached by a walk from Dufton.
- 22 kmSteel RiggA car park and viewpoint on the Whin Sill giving the classic switchback view of Hadrian's Wall towards Sycamore Gap.
- 24 kmB6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall)General Wade's arrow-straight road along Hadrian's Wall, rolling over the whin sill with Roman forts on either side.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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