Hartley Disaster Memorial

Memorial, erected 1862.

MATERIALS: sandstone ashlar.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in St Alban's churchyard surrounded by ornamental iron railings. It comprises a tall corniced pedestal with cord moulding to the frieze, and an egg-and-dart cornice, which supports a tall faceted and tapering obelisk; the whole standing about 4.5m high. Inscriptions are in incised Roman letters painted black on the friezes of the pedestal.

The east face reads; ERECTED/ TO THE MEMORY OF THE 204 MINERS WHO LOST THEIR/ LIVES IN HARTLEY PIT, BY THE FATAL CATASTROPHE/ OF THE ENGINE BEAM BREAKING, 16th JANUARY 1862. The south face reads: BE NOT DECEIVED: GOD IS NOT MOCKED: FOR WHAT- SO EVER A MAN SOWETH. THAT HE SHALL ALSO REAP / (GALAT VI CHAP VII VERS). The north face reads: THEREFORE BE YE ALSO READY: FOR SUCH AN HOUR/ AS YE THINK NOT THE SON OF MAN COMETH. / MATTHEW XXIICHAP XLIV VERS/ BLESSED THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD/ REVN XIVCHAP X111 VERS/ 'IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH'.

Below the frieze, each face of the pedestal is inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives within paired, raised, round topped panels.