ALTHOUGH John Wesley sowed the seeds of Methodism at High House 250 years ago, it was three men who helped keep his legacy alive in the 1980s.

The chapel, built by lead miners and their families after Wesley's first visit to Weardale, had fallen into a state of disrepair. It needed a new ceiling, the walls had to be rebuilt and it was on the verge of closure.

But then minister David Nixon, businessman Maurice Makepeace and farmer John Raine stepped in.

Mr Nixon, who during his 18-year ministry achieved fame as a religious broadcaster with Tyne Tees television, provided the inspiration behind the restoration.

He was a former shepherd with a down-to-earth approach to life that spilled over into his work as a minister, poet and author.

"David was a remarkable minister. You could sit quietly listening to him and never be bored," said John Raine's wife, Judith.

"He was so in touch with nature and the very grassroots of the dale."

David Nixon died in 1994.

Mrs Raine's father, Maurice, provided the organisational skills for the chapel's refurbishment.

He recruited a community workforce, mainly made up of unemployed men, to carry out the work, from 1983.

"When my father put his mind to something, you were sure it was going to get done," said Mrs Raine. "He had a very strong personality and he was a great organiser."

Proof of that was the fact that the chapel was restored to its former glory by September 29, 1984.

Maurice Makepeace, with his friend, former lead miner Bill Proud, was also responsible for the building of the Weardale Museum next to the chapel. Sadly, he died at the age of 67 before this work was completed.

Farmer John Raine was also very influential in the restoration, working quietly behind the scenes and helping with the renovations.

It is a testimony to his devotion to the chapel that, to this day, he still looks after its maintenance and is its unofficial custodian.