Last updated 10:05, Thursday, 26 June 2008

BLANCHLAND is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Set beneath magnificent fells, it is one of most attractive small villages in the North. Lying to the south of Hexham in a wooded section of the upper Derwent valley and built of stone from the remains of a 12th century abbey, the village retains a special atmosphere and has featured in many films and novels.
A place with Jacobite connections, reputedly haunted, the village is steeped in history. Always a remote community, Blanchland flourished during the 19th century lead mining bonanza and industrial archaeology abounds nearby. Today it is a centre for walking, sailing and fishing on the Derwent Reservoir, or just wandering.
There is an interesting shop and post office, a newly extended gallery, a hat shop, a tea-room that is now open throughout the year, and of course the hotel. There is also a children’s playground.
A highlight of the year is the Blanchland and Hunstanworth Show, a traditional village show on August Bank Holiday Monday. The village has many listed buildings clustering around the parish church that is built within the remains of the original abbey church. The buildings complement each other and all form a conservation area currently being reviewed to ensure that Blanchland remains an attractive and living village.
The village has its own website: www.blanchland.org