The College is accommodated in a Victorian country house, overlooking the beautiful Ribble Valley, about 6 miles east of Preston. Although in an idyllic rural location, junction 31A of the M6 is only a few miles away. The College has a distinguished past and recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee, and has its eyes firmly set on the future. Alston Hall is owned and maintained by Lancashire County Council.

The College provides one of the largest combined programmes of day and residential adult education courses of any of the 30 members of the Adult Residential Colleges’ Association. About 800 opportunities are offered each year. The emphasis is on learning for its own sake through participation in enjoyable, creative and fulfilling educational opportunities, rather than for accreditation.

Alston Hall is a popular venue for corporate staff development activities. The client base includes organisations from the public and private sectors as well as many charities. There is also a popular programme of Alston Evenings at which the participants can enjoy a three-course dinner followed by a musical recital or illustrated talk. Many local organisations come to the College for their own dinner-lectures and can choose from a variety of different speakers.

Most of the College’s students and delegates come from Lancashire and the neighbouring counties. However, a significant number travel from throughout Britain to attend. The key factors that have made the College such a popular success include:

• The exceptional levels of customer care, which have lead to the award of the Government’s Charter Mark
• The highly talented part-time teaching team, which is recruited from across the country
• The splendid location in which the learning takes place
• The commitment that is made to the entire staff team which has been recognised by the award of Investor in People
• The excellent home-made cooking

The College is open for 51 weeks each year. A full programme is offered during these times, including weekends and bank/public holidays. The College has 32 bedrooms of which 20 have full en-suite facilities.