Monument To Bernard Laurence Hieatt

The monument to Bernard Laurence Hieatt is located in Reading Cemetery and commemorates Hieatt, who died in May 1930 at the age of 21. Made of marble, the monument features a figure of a smiling young man dressed in racing uniform and tall, laced boots. He holds a helmet in his right hand, which rests on a tree stump. The figure stands on a tall plinth that slightly flares at the base and includes a projecting cornice with a stylized floral motif at each upper corner.

On the south side of the plinth, there is a panel that reads: "TO THE PROUD AND BEAUTIFUL MEMORY OF AIR PILOT BERNARD LAURENCE. THE BELOVED ELDEST SON OF B.L. & L. HIEATT. WHO WAS SUDDENLY CALLED AWAY IN HIS HOUR OF VICTORY ON MAY 3RD 1930, AFTER CREATING TWO WORLD RECORDS IN THE TWO HUNDRED MILES MOTOR CYCLE AND SIDECAR RACE AT BROOKLANDS AGED 21 YEARS." The east side features a small panel with a motorcycle carved in relief, while the west side has a similar airplane.

Bernard Laurence Hieatt began racing in 1928 and quickly gained recognition as an exceptional rider. Tragically, he was killed just a few laps from victory in a motorcycle and sidecar race at Brooklands when he was temporarily blinded by rain. This monument is not only a remarkable piece of sculpture but also holds significant historical interest and has excellent group value with other listed 19th-century monuments in the Grade II Registered Reading Cemetery.