Alston
Alston is a village in Cumbria, England, with a population of around 1,105. It has two schools, one GP surgery, around three restaurants and cafés, four bus stops, and the nearest railway station is Alston, 0.4 km away. The average sold house price is around £238,793, and there were around 12 recorded street crimes in June 2026, most commonly violence & sexual offences. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Alston area — all from official UK open data.
On deprivation, the Westmorland and Furness area is around the average in England (IoD2025).
- Council
- Westmorland and Furness
- County
- Cumbria
- Constituency
- Penrith and The Border
- Police force
- Cumbria
My Area Score
Good
Ranked 54th of 294 English council areas — better than 82% of them.
A percentile blend of eight open measures (100 = best in England); bars show this area’s England-wide percentile on each. Scored on 70% of the full weighting — some data isn't available here. See the rankings · methodology
Weather
7°CPatchy rain nearby
- Today: 8° / 4° · 69% rain
- Tomorrow: 8° / 5° · Patchy rain nearby
Source: WeatherAPI
Daylight
Sunrise 07:17Sunset 16:29
9h 13m of daylight today
Next bank holiday: Christmas Day, Fri 25 Dec
Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk
Air quality
25US AQI · Good
Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)
Source: WAQI · Newcastle Centre, United Kingdom
Air pollution (PM2.5)
- 4.7 µg/m³ average fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration
- 3.6% of adult (30+) deaths estimated attributable to fine-particle pollution
Lower is better for both figures.
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2024
Crime
11 reported · August 2026▲ 38% YoY
- Violence & sexual offences6
- Criminal damage & arson2
- Public order2
- Shoplifting1
Neighbourhood team: North Penrith and Alston · Cumbria
Local policing priorities
- Youth antisocial behaviour and drug use and activity in Alston
- Speeding vehicles and road safety concerns in Alston and surrounding roads
Source: data.police.uk (within ~1 mile)
Road safety
393 reported road collisions (2025)
135 killed or seriously injured · 500 casualties · 17.3 collisions per 10,000 residents
Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)
Food hygiene
20 food businesses within 2 miles
- 17 rated 4–5 ★ (15 top)
- 0 rated 0–2 (poor)
Source: Food Standards Agency
Flood risk
Buses & trains
- Nearest station: Alston (0.4 km)
- 4 bus stops within ~½ mile
Source: OpenStreetMap
House prices
£231,161 average▲ 5.1% YoY
Across Westmorland and Furness · to 2026-08
Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)
Private rents
£816 average monthly rent▲ 6.4% YoY
- 1 bed £604
- 2 bed £772
- 3 bed £942
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents · to 2026-08
Affordability
5.9× house price to earnings
A typical home costs 5.9 times median annual pay (5.5× for cheaper homes vs lower pay).
Source: ONS house price to workplace earnings ratio · 2025
Property sales
3,339 property sales in the last 12 months
12 months to May 2026
A busier or quieter market is not by itself good or bad. Monthly counts are small and volatile, so only the annual total is shown.
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI, 12 months to 2026-05
EV charging
4 charging locations within ~8 km
- Fastest nearby: 7 kW
- Nearest: Alston Gym (0.3 km)
Source: Open Charge Map
Sport & leisure
- Sports pitches7
- Playgrounds4
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local news
- South Lakes Family Hub news - October· 3 Nov 2026
- Eden Family Hub News - October· 3 Nov 2026
- Landlord fined for unlicensed HMO in Barrow· 2 Nov 2026
- Bookings Open 19 November for Westmorland & Furness Winter HAF programme· 29 Oct 2026
- Supporting National Care Leavers Month November 2026· 29 Oct 2026
Source: Westmorland and Furness Council
Population
226,591 residents in Westmorland and Furness
- Under 16: 15%
- 16–64: 59%
- 65+: 26%
Source: ONS Census 2021 (local authority)
Internal migration
- Moves in from elsewhere in the UK9,846
- Moves out to elsewhere in the UK7,786
- Net moves+2,060
Residential moves between local authorities (counts of moves, not people) · ONS Internal migration, YE Jun 2025
Deprivation
Around the average in England
Ranked 165 of 296 English local authorities (1 = most deprived)
6% of neighbourhoods are in England’s most deprived 10%
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Council tax
£2,508 a year · Band D, 2026-27
Most homes here are Band A (25% of 117,810)
Source: VOA council-tax stock · MHCLG band levels 2026-27
Schools
161 schools · 31,227 pupils
121 primary · 19 secondary · 21 other
Ofsted: 49 of 54 graded schools rated Good or Outstanding (91%)
147 inspected under Ofsted’s 2024+ framework (graded by area, no single overall grade)
Secondary schools:
- Appleby Grammar SchoolGood
- Furness AcademyGood
- John Ruskin SchoolGood
- Kirkby Stephen Grammar SchoolGood
- Queen Elizabeth Grammar School PenrithGood
- Queen Elizabeth SchoolGood
- Queen Elizabeth Studio SchoolGood
- St Bernards Catholic High School, BarrowGood
- The Lakes SchoolGood
- The Queen Katherine SchoolGood
- Ullswater Community CollegeGood
- Dallam SchoolRequires improvement
- Cartmel Priory CofE School
- Dowdales School
- Kirkbie Kendal School
- Samuel King's School
- Settlebeck School
- Ulverston Victoria High School
- Walney Academy
Source: DfE Get Information about Schools · Ofsted · Westmorland and Furness
Care & health services
229 CQC-registered services
- Care homes59
- GP practices40
- Dentists56
- Homecare agencies48
- Hospitals & hospices7
CQC ratings: 95% of rated services Good or Outstanding
Source: Care Quality Commission · Westmorland and Furness
Heritage & planning
- In a conservation area (Alston)
- Not in the Green Belt
- 47 listed buildings within ~1.5 km
Source: planning.data.gov.uk (England)
Planning decisions
283 applications decided
94% granted · 266 granted, 17 refused
Source: MHCLG planning statistics (PS2) · 2026 Q2
Your MP
Markus Campbell-Savours
Labour
Penrith and Solway
Recent votes:
- AyeDraft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026
- NoOpposition day motion: Support for British farmers
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill: Third Reading
- NoNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 12
Source: UK Parliament
Council control
Liberal Democrat majority
- Lab 15
- Con 9
- LD 35
- Grn 1
- Ref 1
- Oth 4
Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)
Amenities nearby
- Schools3
- GPs & clinics1
- Pharmacies1
- Parks & greens2
- Restaurants & cafés5
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local businesses
13,355 active business enterprises in the area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)
Local economy
£812 median full-time weekly pay
1.8% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits
£26,301 disposable income per head (2024)
Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI
Energy efficiency
46% of homes rated EPC C or above
Most common band: D · 23,188 certificates
12.9% of households were in fuel poverty (2023)
Source: MHCLG EPC statistics · DESNZ sub-regional fuel poverty
Grid electricity
73% low-carbon electricity
Nuclear 42% · Imports 27% · Wind 27% · Solar 5%
1 gCO₂/kWh · very low intensity
Latest estimate for North East England · National Grid ESO
Health
Life expectancy: 84.4 yrs women · 80.7 yrs men
Healthy life expectancy: 64.4 women · 62.8 men
59% of adults overweight or obese
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2025
Health services
1 GP surgery · 1 pharmacy in CA9
- Alston Medical Practice
Source: NHS Organisation Data Service
Local petitions
Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in Penrith and Solway:
- Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks309 local signatures · 127,144 nationwide
- Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills254 local signatures · 111,154 nationwide
- End the mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid immediately196 local signatures · 76,640 nationwide
- Launch a public inquiry into illegal migration in the UK152 local signatures · 78,478 nationwide
- Change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth151 local signatures · 113,305 nationwide
Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05
Notable places nearby
- Samuel King's School · 0.1 km
Samuel King's School is a mixed secondary school located in Alston in the English county of Cumbria. As of 2017 it had 73 students on roll. It is a comprehensive foundation school administered by Westmorland and Furne…
Alston Moor · 0.2 kmAlston Moor, formerly known as Alston with Garrigill, is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England, based around the small town of Alston.…
Alston Town Hall · 0.2 kmAlston Town Hall is a municipal building in Front Street, Alston, Cumbria, England. The town hall, which is currently used as a public library, is a Grade II listed building.
Alston, Cumbria · 0.2 kmAlston 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…
Alston railway station · 0.5 kmAlston is a heritage railway station on the South Tynedale Railway. The station, situated 13 miles (21 km) south of Haltwhistle, is in the market town of Alston, in Cumbria, England.
A686 road · 1.5 kmThe A686 is a road in Northern England. It runs from Penrith in Cumbria to Haydon Bridge in Northumberland. AA Magazine named the A686 as one of their "Ten Great Drives" owing to the dramatic scenery of the North Pe…
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)
Nearby towns
Compare Westmorland and Furness with nearby areas
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Alston?
- Alston is a town in Cumbria, England, in the Westmorland and Furness local authority.
- What is the population of Alston?
- Alston has an approximate settlement population of 1,105.
- How deprived is Alston?
- The Westmorland and Furness local authority, which includes Alston, is around the average in England on the IoD2025.