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Natural outcrop of Frosterley marble exposed in the bed of the Bollihope Burn in Harehope Quarry, Frosterley.
Fragment of the rim of a beautifully carved medieval font of Frosterley marble, found by local resident Kieran Aston during Altogether Archaeology excavations at St Botolph’s Chapel, Frosterley, in 2013.
The pulpit in St Thomas Anglican Cathedral, Mumbai (Bombay), India, has a base and columns of Frosterley marble. |
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What is it? It has been exploited since the 13th century, possibly earlier, and used in numerous important buildings, perhaps most notably Durham Cathedral where many fine columns of it can be seen in the beautiful Chapel of the Nine Altars, dating from about 1280. What is its relevance to the North Pennines? The Boldon Book of 1183 records ‘Ralph the Crafty’ in Frosterley, and ‘Lambert the marble cutter’ in Stanhope, both perhaps craftsmen working with Frosterley marble. In 2013 and 2014, during archaeological excavations at the little medieval chapel of St Botolph within the village of Frosterley, two fragments of a Frosterley marble font (probably 12th or 13th century) were found, and similar medieval fonts are known from other County Durham churches. The stone was widely used in medieval times for church objects such as fonts, effigies and coffins, and decorative slabs are often found built into the floors of churches and other buildings dating from medieval times through into the early 20th century. For example, it can be seen in Auckland Castle, York Minster, and the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne. More recently, several stone sculptures by north-east sculptor Keith Murray have been erected in public places in Weardale, for example on Frosterley Railway Station and at the Dales Centre in Stanhope. Why is it important?
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