Nenthead ( ) in the county of Cumbria is one of England's highest villages, at around . It was not built until the middle of the 18th century and was one of the earliest purpose-built industrial villages in Britain. History Nenthead was a major centre for lead and silver mining in the North Pennines of Britain. The first smelt mill was built at Nenthead in 1737 by George Liddle, and this was subsequently expanded by the London Lead Company. By 1882 the smelt mill was capable of smelting 8,000 bings, i.e., , of ore per annum. Nenthead village in 1861 had 2,000 people, mostly Methodist and employed by the Quaker-owned London Lead Company in the Nenthead Mines - some of the most productive in the country. The Quakers built housing, a school, a reading room, public baths and a wash-house for the miners and their families. Nenthead has accessible mines remaining, horse whims and a engine shaft in Rampghill. The mines closed in 1961 and there is a heritage centre displaying their history. The economy of the village relies on tourism. A long distance cycle route, the C2C, passes through Nenthead. The Grade 2 listed Wesleyan Methodist chapel has not been used since 2002 but benefitted from a Heritage Lottery Grant of £134,500. The post office and community shop occupies the building which was once a reading room for the miners. Nenthead is around east of Alston, west of Newcastle upon Tyne, south east of Carlisle, east of Penrith, and west of Hexham. County Council subsidies have maintained limited bus services to Alston and beyond. However, in 2014 cuts to these subsidies were being discussed, threatening the existence of bus services for the village. Governance Nenthead is in the parliamentary constituency of Penrith and The Border. Neil Hudson (Conservative) was elected as Member of Parliament at the 2019 General Election, replacing Rory Stewart. For Local Government purposes it is in the Alston Moor Ward of Eden District Council and the Alston and East Fellside Division of Cumbria County Council. Nenthead does not have its own parish council, instead it is part of Alston Moor Parish Council. Before Brexit, its residents were covered by the North West England European Parliamentary Constituency. Zinc deposits In 2013 the Canadian mining company Minco sank deep boreholes in an effort to discover the extent of zinc deposits beneath Nenthead. Although test drilling could go on