Saving the Frosterley Font

This appeal for funds is on behalf of the Weardale Museum, a small folk museum in upper Weardale which preserves the history and heritage of the area. The Frosterley font is a unique being fashioned from Frosterley 'marble'. Frosterley Marble is a fossiliferous limestone mined in the local area in Weardale and the abundant fossils in it make it look like true marble.

In the late 1980’s Mr Basil Noble, a lover of this beautiful stone, visited the church of All Saints in Gainsborough, in search of a Frosterley Marble font but it was nowhere to be found. Making enquiries he learned that it had been replaced in 1967 and then buried. Eventually the font was found and it was taken back to Weardale for restoration and repair.

The font ‘came home’ to Frosterley on 29 October 1989 when it was re-dedicated into the church of St Michael and All Angels. When the church closed its doors in 2019 local people were determined to find a new home for this beautiful and significant object. A plan to house it in the Village Hall was not possible due to its size and weight but an offer was made by the Weardale Museum to take charge of it.

Durham Diocese agreed to the removal of the font and it has been moved into safe storage until its new home is ready for it in the Museum and Heritage Centre. The plan is to place the font in the lobby of the former High House Chapel and to provide information about its story and about Frosterley marble.

The font is very large and extremely heavy; it had to be dismantled into several sections, packed and cased and moved into storage. Eventually the reverse will happen and this magnificent work of art will be restored and take pride of place at the Museum.

The Weardale Museum needs to raise the funds to cover the dual costs of removing and, later, reinstalling the font. We have been very kindly given some financial assistance from the Diocese of Durham to help preserve this unique piece but still need to raise still need to raise £1,800 for the specialist input needed. Any additional funds raised will go towards the cost of caring for the other artefacts saved from Frosterley Church including the processional and altar crosses and the Mothers Union and Scout banners which are in need to repair and restoration.

Thank you for helping to preserve this special piece of Weardale History.