West Allen

Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey is a Buddhist monastery and retreat centre located in Northumberland, in northern England. The monastic order is equally for men and women. It follows the Serene Reflection Meditation Tradition, similar to the Sōtō Zen sect in Japan. It is part of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. Throssel Hole was established in 1972. It offers retreats, festivals and other events for anyone who wishes to learn about or deepen their practice of meditation.

Carrshield is a village in West Allen parish, Northumberland, England. It lies in the Pennines between Penrith and Hexham. It is a small village with an old school building in the centre of the village. The school was built in 1851 and is now three houses. Carrshield is surrounded by fell ground and is littered with old disused mines. Remnants of the old stone works where the lead was mined can still be seen next to the river. There are no shops in Carrshield. Carrshield has numerous farms surrounding it, including a Stud and Rehabilitation Centre for horses. It also has a Methodist Chapel. The village name is often misspelt on older maps as 'Carr Shield' but is now correct on OS maps.

Ninebanks is a small village in south west Northumberland, England in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Alston by road. It is noted for the early sixteenth century Ninebanks Tower, sometimes described as a pele tower, but possibly built as a watchtower. It is made of sandstone and has four floors, the lowest of which is now below the level of the road. There is an independently run Ninebanks Youth Hostel, which is actually in nearby Mohope.

Ouston is a small settlement in south west Northumberland, England in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Alston by road, and just west of Ninebanks.

Allendale Moors is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Northumberland, England. The upland moorland ridge site is listed for its heath, flush and upland grassland which provide a habitat for a nationally important assemblage of moorland breeding birds.

Nenthead ( NENT-hed) in the county of Cumbria is one of England's highest villages, at around 1,437 feet (438 m). It was not built until the middle of the 18th century and was one of the earliest purpose-built industrial villages in Britain.

Rampgill mine is a disused lead mine at Nenthead, Alston Moor, Cumbria, England UK Grid Reference: NY78184351 It was one of the most extensive and productive mines in Nenthead. It can be accessed via the portal of the horse level close to the Heritage Centre car park. The mine was completely closed for many decades due to collapses in the horse level, but in 2006 some work was done and it became possible to access the Bounder End Cross Vein (also known as the Boundary Cross Vein). In 2013 the Canadian mining company Minco (www.mincoplc.com) sunk boreholes to discover the extent of zinc deposits beneath Nenthead. Test drilling could go on for several years, but the company believes that the village may be sited on huge deposits. The zinc is 150 metres below the surface, which is too deep to reach by old mining techniques. The workings of the original lead mine were mainly in the so-called Great Limestone, which was laid down in the Namurian and is generally 10 to 20 metres thick. The lead sulphide mineral galena PbS was mined as an ore of lead, and the sulphides pyrite FeS2 and sphalerite ZnS were also present. Many carbonates occur there, including ankerite Ca(Fe,Mg)(CO3)2, barytocalcite BaCa(CO3)2, calcite CaCO3, siderite FeCO3, smithsonite ZnCO3 and witherite BaCO3, as well as the non-carbonate minerals fluorite CaF2 and baryte BaSO4.

Bearsbridge is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the west of Hexham, on the A686.

Acton is a small hamlet in Northumberland, north-east England, about 3 miles (5 km) south of Allendale Town. Acton is usually Anglo-Saxon Old English for "farmstead at the oak tree(s)"; here, though, it is "Acca's farmstead". Acca is an Anglo-Saxon settler's forename. Acton is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.

Whitfield is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Plenmeller with Whitfield, in the county of Northumberland, England about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Hexham. It has a farming community and is set against a beautiful scenic background; sometimes it has been called Little Switzerland. In 1951 the parish had a population of 233. The village lies on the River West Allen which joins with the River East Allen less than a mile away to form the River Allen. The village is serviced with a village shop, pub, school and two churches.

The Allen Confluence Gravels is the name given to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Northumberland, England. The site, listed since 1968, has an 'outstanding assemblage of river margin invertebrates.'

Catton is a village in Northumberland, England. It is about 7 miles (11 km) to the southwest of Hexham and is located on the outskirts of Allendale