Highest town in England?

[Mick F]

A friendly discussion in the pub yesterday evening.

I cycled through Alston, Cumbria a few years ago and was told it was the highest market town in England. I hear that Buxton, Derbyshire is claiming the title.

Who's right?

Princetown on Dartmoor is at 1,400ft and obviously higher than Alston or Buxton, but Princetown doesn't have a market and strictly speaking, isn't a town!

[karlt]

Taking the centre of both of these towns, Buxton appears to be about 10 metres higher at 300m, with Alston at 290.

[Mick F]

Thanks.
I tried looking at OS maps, but Buxton was too built up to see the contour lines clearly.

Is that the way you found out the info?

[karlt]

I use bing maps; you can zoom quite closely in on them and see things you can't make out on the paper versions. Both towns of course cover a range of altitudes and there's definitely overlap. Not knowing exactly where the boundaries are it could be that whilst the centre of Buxton is higher the edges of Alston go higher - in which case both lose out to Sheffield which touches something like a 500m contour along one boundary.

Meanwhile Cat and Fiddle (515m) and Tan Hill (520m) both fight over being the highest pub. It appears that Tan Hill is right.

[Mick F]

What about Warren House Inn on Dartmoor?
We were there on a pub crawl the other week, and I'm sure I read something about the height of the pub.




Just Wiki'd it. It's the highest pub in Southern England at 434m - 1,425ft.

[gbnz]

Every time I cycle through Alston (Several times per year), I always emphasise the fact that it it the highest town in England, to all and sundry (family, friends, colleagues, shop assistant at Alston Co-op)

Regardless of "proof" otherwise, no town is higher

[beachcomber]

Don't know about being the highest but Alston can be one of the coldest. A couple of years ago we cycled through Alston on 6th June. It was freezing. There had been over two inches of snow at Alston the day before. The ride continued through that day and night and during the following day we were riding in 30 degree temperatures. Don't you just love the English climate.

[gaz]

Had a very nice BLT in Buxton having climbed Winnatts Pass through horizontal sleet one February morning. Well earned and all the tastier for it.

List of English counties by highest point. Haven't you done them all yet Mick?

[Mick F]

On my Mercian?
No way!

On foot?
I've done a few, but not many.

I'm convinced that Alston is higher than Buxton. I know Alston is on a very steep cobbled hill. By the time you get to the southern end of the town centre, you are easily above 1,100ft.

It all comes down to definition.
My vote is for Alston.

[ferrit worrier]

On my Mercian?
No way!

On foot?
I've done a few, but not many.

I'm convinced that Alston is higher than Buxton. I know Alston is on a very steep cobbled hill. By the time you get to the southern end of the town centre, you are easily above 1,100ft.

It all comes down to definition.
My vote is for Alston.

had a look on Google erf

The middle of Alston 299 M by the square stone building near the Crown hotel. The middle of Buxton town centre 299 m next to Gregs. the problem is both towns are built on hills, so the question isere is the centre of a town..... the town hall or the local market place?

[Mick F]

As I said, it's down to definition.

I also said that Princetown is at 1,400ft = well higher than ANY town in the whole of the UK.

Trouble is, it's not a town.
No market
No Mayor
No town hall
No town council

Though Wiki say it's a town
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princetown

[cycleruk]

How does Tow Law (County Durham) compare with the others?
It's over 310 metres but is probably not a "market town".
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1150618

[Mick F]

A town:
a named place with defined boundaries, and local government.

Towns have mayors and a town council.

[hubgearfreak]

Though Wiki say it's a town
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princetown

they don't, however, have it in their list of towns in England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_England

[bikepacker]

Flash a village in Staffordshire near Leek claims to be the highest village in the UK.
http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/towns/flash.php