Allenheads Smelt Mill

The ruins of Allenheads Smelt Mill sit high on the Pennines above Hexham, a proper industrial ghost that tells the story of lead mining's heyday in the North East. What you're looking at are the remains of stone buildings and chimneys from the 18th and 19th centuries, when this was a working operation processing ore from the surrounding mines. It's not dramatic or intact - you won't find a visitor centre or reconstructed interiors - but that's rather the point. Standing among the rubble, you get a genuine sense of how harsh the work was, how remote the location, how little comfort they had up here.

It's brilliant for anyone into industrial archaeology or fell walkers who want to combine history with landscape. History types will find the site genuinely interesting because it's still raw and uninterpreted - you piece together the story yourself. The walk up there from Allenheads village is steep but manageable, and the views across the Pennines make the climb worthwhile. Allow two to three hours including the walk and a good poke around the ruins.

Free to access, which is rare for something this substantial. Go in autumn or spring when the moorland colours are good and you won't be battling tourists. If you're based at Westgate Caravan & Camping Site or Panoramic Pods - both around 6 miles away - it's an excellent half-day excursion to break up a week exploring the North Pennines. Kids need to be into the outdoors, mind - there's nothing interactive or kid-friendly about desolate mining ruins.