UKH

Looking for a four or five hour walk starting g and ending near Alston , maybe taking in a few tops . Any ideas ?

Cross Fell or High Cup Nick both from Dufton. Cross Fell from Alston itself is rather tedious.

I got a sudden blast of nostalgia hearing that name,  I visited Alston as a kid with my junior school.  first time away from home, first real 'holiday'.  Week of climbing, canoeing, abseiling, and walks that seems to last all bloody day

High Plains Lodge was the adventure centre we stayed at.  

I remember a pub called the Blue Bell....(from the outside of course)

Very nice memories...

You could try some (or all) of the North Pennine watershed (hope it's not been raining lots - but it's chiefly the bit from Knock fell to High Cup that's got the bogs) https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=256

A nice alternative variant on that to create a loop could be Hartside - Melmerby Fell - Cross Feel and then down the Pennine Way back to Alston. You might have a transport juggle of some sort.

I think the nicest way up Cross Fell is a loop from Kirkland https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=75

Isaac's tea trail, might be a bit long, but you could do some of it and loop back.

Also the Pennine way north passes a Roman fort, Whitley castle, you could have a wander around there, then drop down to the road and loop back over the fells above Alston.

I'd recommend the Cumberland Hotel in Alston, for beer and whisky.

Walking to the west from Alston there's Grey Nag and Tom Smith's Stone top. Grey Nag is quite an interesting top with good views, although Tom Smith's Stone top is a bit of a marshy bump in the middle of many very slightly lower lumps. The return can be made by retracing your steps, heading down the Gilderdale Burn (although I have memories of hard going that way) or round over Black Fell and down the ridge on the other side of the valley. The latter is a nice route, but whether you'd do it in 4-5 hours depends on how fast you walk.

There's loads of other very remote feeling tops accessible from just east of Alston, above Nenthead, for instance. Not to everybody's taste, but I like em.

Cross Fell from Alston or Garrigill is a bit tedious. However, Bellbeaver Rigg and Viewing Hill from Garrigill is much more interesting, in a very North Pennines way.

If its grim on the tops we've done a good valley walk. The loop heads out to Garrigill on the Pennine Way, up and over to Nenthead (road section), then back to Alston via the Isaac Tea Trail.  Approx 13.5 miles and took us just under 5hrs with about 2000' of climbing (with stops for lunch and photos).