Towering far above the South Tyne River, at an elevation of over one thousand feet, Alson has one of the highest elevations in all of Cumbria. This gives residents of the city an astonishing view of surrounding countryside and many come to Alston simply to take in the natural grandeur of the South Tyne as well as the River Nent, another gorgeous waterway that breathes life into Alston. The combination of the landscape and the nourishing rivers in the area has given Alston a rich supply of minerals and deposits that makes the town even more desirable to outsiders and has given the city the bulk of its income for years untold.
Aside from the healthy supply of lead deposits, Alston's earth is also rich in shale, limestone, and sandstone. These and many more minerals have been mined in the city for centuries now and much of the area surrounding Alston is also rich in these treasures, thanks to the healthy influence of the Tyne on the fertile ground it feeds. Recent evidence has shown that Alston's reputation as a mineral-rich mining town dates even further back than previously expected. The remains of Roman settlements have been found that prove Alston was important to the Empire in the first centuries after Christ's death. Whitley Castle, a Roman fort that stood on Alston's surface nearly a thousand years ago, must have been quite an imposing construction as it oversaw the Tyne and protected the workers as they mined for silver in and around Alston.
Silver proved to be the most esteemed metal to come out of Alston's earth and miners have been pilfering the area ever since its discovery. The 1200s was a particularly fruitful century for the city, as the Carlisle mines delivered vast sums of silver to hungry diggers. Forty troy ounces per long ton was not out of the question in those days and the resulting finds were used to make up much of the Royal Mint. Later years would see technological advancement turn mining into a certified industry and the London Lead Company ended up becoming the dominant presence in the town by the mid-1700s. Fortunately, the organization paid its due respects to the city that brought it its fortune by building schools, libraries, sanitariums, and market halls in Alston. Many of these buildings still stand to this day and, along with the ancient mines, are major tourist attractions.
Alston is no longer officially a "mining town", as the 1950s saw the closure of the last few mines still active in the city. Metalworking and tourism are the prime trades in Alston today but the town will forever be associated with mining no matter how its economy changes in the future. The sheer amount of history that occurred beneath Alston's surface is reason enough to pay a visit to the city and even those who never had much of an interest in mining are often floored by the grandeur of these old catacombs. Perhaps some are even hoping to find a stray piece of silver!
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