Frosterley
Encyclopedia
Frosterley is a village in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated in Weardale
, on the River Wear close to its confluence with Bollihope Burn; between Wolsingham
and Stanhope
; 18 miles west of Durham
City and 26 miles southwest of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Frosterley is on the Weardale Railway
. Heritage trains currently run to Stanhope
and Wolsingham
times: Mesolithic flints and Neolithic
stones axes have been found in the vicinity. A bronze spearhead was found in a local quarry dating to the late Bronze Age
circa 1000 BC. The village itself has medieval
origins and although the original houses have long been replaced the village still retains its medieval pattern.
On the north of the village are the remains of St Botolph
’s Chapel. What remains is an earthwork mound
surrounded by a modern housing estate (Kirk Rise). The site was excavated in 1995, before the estate was built, and the probable remains of an ecclesiastical building was discovered. It is thought this was built around the 10th or 11th century and dedicated to the east Anglican saint St. Botolph who lived in the 7th century and was very popular in medieval times though little is now known about him. It is thought the village originally may have been named after the saint. The earliest reference to its current name occurs in the Close Rolls of 1239, where it appears as Frosterlegh meaning the clearing in the forest.
Frosterley Marble has been taken from the Rogerley Quarry for more than 700 years; the decorative columns found in Durham Cathedral
date from about 1350. Examples of Frosterley Marble can be found at several places in the village, the church of St Michael
and All Saints, the railway station and behind the car park in the centre of the village.
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County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated in Weardale
Weardale
Weardale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Large parts of Weardale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The upper valley is surrounded by high fells and heather grouse...
, on the River Wear close to its confluence with Bollihope Burn; between Wolsingham
Wolsingham
Wolsingham is a small market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope in North West Durham.-History:Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck...
and Stanhope
Stanhope, County Durham
Stanhope is a small market town in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley on the north side of Weardale. The A689 trans-Pennine road meets the B6278 road from Barnard Castle to Shotley Bridge here....
; 18 miles west of Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
City and 26 miles southwest of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Frosterley is on the Weardale Railway
Weardale Railway
The Weardale Railway is a British single-track branch line railway providing regular daily passenger service between Bishop Auckland , Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope. Services began on 23 May 2010 after a lapse of almost sixty years. The railway originally ran from Bishop Auckland to...
. Heritage trains currently run to Stanhope
Stanhope, County Durham
Stanhope is a small market town in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley on the north side of Weardale. The A689 trans-Pennine road meets the B6278 road from Barnard Castle to Shotley Bridge here....
and Wolsingham
Wolsingham
Wolsingham is a small market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope in North West Durham.-History:Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck...
History
The area has been inhabited since MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
times: Mesolithic flints and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
stones axes have been found in the vicinity. A bronze spearhead was found in a local quarry dating to the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
circa 1000 BC. The village itself has medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
origins and although the original houses have long been replaced the village still retains its medieval pattern.
On the north of the village are the remains of St Botolph
Saint Botolph
Botwulf of Thorney was an English abbot and saint. He is the patron saint of travellers and the various aspects of farming...
’s Chapel. What remains is an earthwork mound
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
surrounded by a modern housing estate (Kirk Rise). The site was excavated in 1995, before the estate was built, and the probable remains of an ecclesiastical building was discovered. It is thought this was built around the 10th or 11th century and dedicated to the east Anglican saint St. Botolph who lived in the 7th century and was very popular in medieval times though little is now known about him. It is thought the village originally may have been named after the saint. The earliest reference to its current name occurs in the Close Rolls of 1239, where it appears as Frosterlegh meaning the clearing in the forest.
Frosterley Marble
A black limestone containing fossil corals of the Carboniferous Period, some 325 million years ago. When cut and polished the result is a beautiful ornate stone, much desired for church decoration, particularly during the Middle AgesFrosterley Marble has been taken from the Rogerley Quarry for more than 700 years; the decorative columns found in Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
date from about 1350. Examples of Frosterley Marble can be found at several places in the village, the church of St Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and All Saints, the railway station and behind the car park in the centre of the village.
Rogerley Mine
The Rogerley mine, located in a 19th century limestone quarry, is the only mine known to be operated on a commercial basis solely for mineral specimens in the UK.Gallery
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External links
- St Botolph
- Weardale Railway
- Stone in Archaeology database
- Frosterley Marble leaflet (North PenninesNorth PenninesThe North Pennines is the northernmost section of the Pennine range of hills which runs north-south through northern England. It lies between Carlisle to the west and Darlington to the east...
Rockworks project) - Rogerley Mine information and photo galleries at Mindat.orgMindat.orgMindat.org is a non-commercial online mineralogical database, claiming to be the largest mineral database and mineralogical reference website on the internet....