Good evening, welcome to Seaton Valley
Welcome to the community website for Seaton Valley.
This website will give you information about activities running in the area.
This site is constantly being updated and relies on information given from voluntary and community groups in Seaton Valley.
If you have a group in Seaton Valley andare not currently on the site, you are welcome to submit any information. Also if you have any news and events happening in the area and would like them advertised please contact:
Gina Robson or Fiona Wardlaw Capacity Building Officers for Seaton Valley on: 01670 353623 or email: gina.robson@cvabv.org.uk fiona.wardlaw@cvabv.org.uk
Hartley Colliery Pit Disaster 1862
2012 will mark the 150th Anniversary of the Hartley Colliery Hester Pit Disaster. 204 men and boys perished in what was at the time the biggest mining disaster of its time. To commemorate this event a local steering group has been set up to plan projects and activities that will run up to and after the anniversary.
Hartley Colliery Hester Pit Banner
Lost but not Forgotton Strength in Community
The new banners were produced as part of a community project working with local community groups and schools and the final image produced by Headway Theatre.
One of the major projects will involve improvements and restoration to the Hartley Pit Disaster Memorial Garden situated in the Village of New Hartley. The garden was created to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Hartley pit disaster on January 16th 1862. 
Some other projects to commemorate this event include the production of Memorial Glasses, A Mining Banner, a Calendar and Exhibitions as well as Memorial Services.
Buy your calendar now for only £2
The Hartley Disaster provoked a media storm unlike any previous mining disaster. The harrowing scenes were reported over several weeks in national newspapers. A public outcry resulted after it was revealed that the disaster could have been prevented if those trapped underground had a second way out. After a fight with members of the coal owning Lords, an amendment to the Coal Mines Act was brought in and after 1st January 1865 it became unlawful for a mine owner to work a mine unless there were at least two means of egress. The provisions in the act were adopted in the mines of the Empire and later to all legally operated mines across the globe.
We are looking for descendantsof those who lost their lives in the disaster and those who assisted in the rescue attempts.
For information about any of the projects contact Clive Raper on 0191 2372210 or John Seymour on 0191 2374900/ pjbseymour@btopenworld.com
Images of New Hartley Memorial Garden
New Hartley Memorial Garden
New Hartley Memorial Garden Pit Heads
New Hartley Memorial Garden in January
