The Weardale Museum

The Weardale Museum "Outstanding Volunteer Run Museum" - Arts Council for England
Open 1-4.30pm Wed-Sun + Bank Holidays There is a free car park behind the Museum.

Opening Hours:
13.00-16.30
April to October - Wednesday to Sunday
Open Bank Holidays

Entry Fee:
Adults - £4.50 (£5 with Gift Aid)
Children - Free
Friends Membership forms available at the Museum or on our website. It is within walking distance of St John's Chapel and the 101 bus stop. Dogs (apart from guide/assistance dogs) must be left outside. Renovations are being undertaken on High House Chap

el so it is currently closed to the public. The Museum first opened in 1985 and is situated in the manse of High House Chapel. It houses collections concerning Weardale life (including the Weardale Tapestry), geology, prehistory, and Methodism in the Dale. There is a family history research service; please contact us to enquire. It is host to the Methodist Tapestries Collection: an ongoing project creating a collection of tapestries telling the story of Methodism in Weardale and beyond. Contact us to get involved. The Museum is entirely volunteer run. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer with us. Roles cover a wide range, including stewarding at the Museum, organising and stewarding outside exhibitions, contributing to social media, and caring for our collections.

Thanks to everybody who contributed and helped make our our Community Engagement Event on Friday and yesterday a success...
09/08/2026

Thanks to everybody who contributed and helped make our our Community Engagement Event on Friday and yesterday a success. It was valuable on a number of fronts. Not only were we able to explain our plans to visitors, we made some very interesting and useful contacts, we recruited a few new volunteers and were offered some very interesting items. Sue one of our Trustees was particularly pleased to be offered a number of quilts and quilting patterns to help us to tell the amazing story of Durham quilting in Weardale and Les and I salivated when we received a gift of 16 photographic prints which belonged to A J Thompson, the post master at Wearhead. These were used to produce the Valentine series of postcards.

Who would have thought laying a floor in our chapel building would be so complicated. Even below the first prepared conc...
07/08/2026

Who would have thought laying a floor in our chapel building would be so complicated. Even below the first prepared concrete layer there was a good thick layer of sand and gravel to create a level base, followed by a radon layer to keep out the harmful gases. I hope you’ve enjoyed following our interesting journey. It is ready now for whatever floor finish we decide to use. Compare this to our authentic kitchen in the manse with its stone slabs laid on bare earth.

Today at our event in St John’s Chapel and the laying of the final screed in the Chapel. Our event to explain what is ha...
07/08/2026

Today at our event in St John’s Chapel and the laying of the final screed in the Chapel. Our event to explain what is happening at The Weardale Museum is open again on Saturday 8 August from 10am - 4pm.

Very busy few days coming up.Friday (tomorrow) and Saturday we have an event at St John’s Chapel Town Hall to describe a...
06/08/2026

Very busy few days coming up.
Friday (tomorrow) and Saturday we have an event at St John’s Chapel Town Hall to describe and explain progress with our building project at High House.
Tomorrow the final screed layer is being layed on the ground floor of the chapel.
Monday, a group of us is going to Redhills in Durham to be shown around the pitman’s parliament which is the subject of one if our tapestries.
Wednesday, I’m talking to Denton WI at Summerhouse Village Hall near Darlington.

It has been fascinating watching the progress of works on the ground floor. Underfloor heating pipework installation com...
31/07/2026

It has been fascinating watching the progress of works on the ground floor. Underfloor heating pipework installation completed ready for the final screed covering the following week. After that has dried we’ll be able to walk on the finished floor. I can’t wait.

Today I’m busy preparing information boards for our Community Engagement Event at St John’s Chapel Town Hall on 7-8th Au...
27/07/2026

Today I’m busy preparing information boards for our Community Engagement Event at St John’s Chapel Town Hall on 7-8th August. Tomorrow I’m delivering a talk at Shildon for the Howden le Wear and Shildon WI.

A lot of unseen work has been going on at High House Chapel since last September. We thought it was time to tell you al...
20/07/2026

A lot of unseen work has been going on at High House Chapel since last September. We thought it was time to tell you all about it and give you the chance to ask about our plans.

We are not allowed to take you inside yet so our meeting will be in the Town Hall St John’s Chapel on 7-8 August.

We will be putting out some posters but please tell those who might not have access to the internet.

From a rough floor to the first fix of the mechanical and electrical fittings. The floor at ground level should be finis...
18/07/2026

From a rough floor to the first fix of the mechanical and electrical fittings. The floor at ground level should be finished by the middle of August.

It’s off to Hexham tomorrow to deliver a talk to their Textile and Stitch Group at The Torch. I’ ve been suffering with ...
10/07/2026

It’s off to Hexham tomorrow to deliver a talk to their Textile and Stitch Group at The Torch. I’ ve been suffering with a summer cold so I hope it is not uncomfortably hot indoors.

One of the most important facilities at any attraction is the toilets. We decided to restore the old outside netty as a ...
06/07/2026

One of the most important facilities at any attraction is the toilets. We decided to restore the old outside netty as a feature of the new build. We will be advertising for sitters very soon.

Address

Ireshopeburn, Weardale
Bishop Auckland
DL131HD

Opening Hours

Wednesday 1pm - 4:30pm
Thursday 1pm - 4:30pm
Friday 1pm - 4:30pm
Saturday 1pm - 4:30pm
Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+447990786220

Website

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