Allendale is a small market town in south west Northumberland, Great Britain, with a population of approximately 2000. The local economy is predominantly based on agriculture (notably sheep farming) and tourism, although of late it has become a popular commuter town for Newcastle upon Tyne.

The town is famous for a New Year celebration where lighted tar barrels are carried on the heads of revellers called "guisers". This tradition dates back as the late 1800s but no one seems to know why it began or its significance.