Northallerton

Based in the Hambleton area of North Yorkshire, Northallerton has population of over 15,000. It is at the northern end of the Vale of York and lies in the Vale of Mowbray. Like many towns in the area it is packed full of history especially due to it being the town in which much of the Battle of Standard in 1138 took place. Since then the town has grown into a busy industry town in the middle of a large rural area. The retail areas of the town are very busy and several public sector companies have the town as their headquarters. These include the Rural Payments Agency, Hambleton Civic Centre and North Yorkshire County Council. A number of well known professionals come from the area, including John Radcliffe who founded Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, Alan Hinks who was the first Briton to reach the summit of the world's 14 highest peaks and composer Malcom Riley.