Issue 41 Spring web - Flipbook - Page 46
Repurposing an historic
former Methodist Chapel
to expand the Weardale
Museum and Heritage Centre
The Weardale Museum is a small but perfectly formed social history museum situated in Weardale, in
the west of rural County Durham, in the North Pennines AONB. It sits between the main road through
the Dale and the River Wear, in the old Methodist minister’s manse adjoining High House Chapel. The
Chapel, a Grade II listed building, was founded in 1760, and later enlarged at least twice, the Manse
being added later.
Methodism memorabilia and books, and is a constant
source of interest, especially to groups of visiting
Methodists from overseas. Upstairs is a crowded Aladdin’s
cave of fossils, minerals, archaeological finds, collections
of photographs, models, World War 1 artefacts, farming
implements and a multitude of historic items of local
interest ….. the list goes on. Our small museum has often
been described as “Tardis” like. It is fully Accredited, and
has previously received an Arts Council Award as an
Outstanding Volunteer Run Museum.
The idea of a museum of and for Weardale was first
mooted by historian William Morley Egglestone in 1898,
but was only finally realised in 1984 by a group of local
volunteers. The Museum provides residents of and visitors
to Weardale with a sense of place and history by telling
stories of the Dale and its people, past and present. Prominent among these are the stories of John Wesley and the
development of Methodism in the North. Wesley visited
our village several times and always preached there, and
was instrumental in establishing the High House Chapel,
which – until it was forced to close in 2018 - became the
oldest in continuous worship use in the country. (It was
always the “go to” choice for Weardale funerals and
weddings.) The Chapel is included in Simon Jenkins’
acclaimed “Thousand Best Churches in England”. The
four rooms of the Museum open to visitors are crammed
with exhibits describing life in the Dales, covering geology
and geography, the lead mining industry, farming, history
and architecture, cultural life and commerce. One of our
most popular features is the Victorian kitchen on the
ground floor, complete with cooking range, furniture, toys,
equipment and utensils - and cockroach and mouse traps.
The second ground floor room is devoted to Wesley and
The Museum is regarded with much affection amongst
Weardale residents, and has become an integral part of
the community. It is entirely run by volunteers, including
the 15 Trustees all of whom have close connexions to the
Dale. We have some 130 further volunteers, many of
whom act as stewards for visitors and assist with care of
the museum and collections, and we have a large body of
subscribing friends. Our frequent outreach exhibitions of
photographs and artefacts in the surrounding villages are
always well attended and provide some useful extra
income through donations. In addition we work closely
with local primary schools. Our family history service also volunteer run - has assembled a database of over
Above, 10 x framed tapestries
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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