Photo: The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

The Mickleton Chest

The chest contains over 100 manuscripts, including a copy of the Mickleton Lease, documenting the history of Mickleton Manor from approximately 1560 - 1660.

The chest was originally secured with five padlocks, each requiring a different key, and thus five key-holders to be present in order for the chest to be opened.

Until 1972-3, when it arrived at the Bowes Museum, it had been kept at High Green, Mickleton, the home of the Dent family for many generations.

The chest can be viewed in the Streatlam Galleries of the Bowes Museum and it is hoped that in the future the documents will be available also.

An article written by J Linda Drury entitled 'A Chest of Manuscripts from Mickleton in Teesdale', published in the 'Durham ArchaelogicalJournal 1, 1984 pp73-79' reconstructs some of the history of these documents.