All that remains on the site is a memorial to the 204 victims of the accident.

Hester pit was sunk after the original pit at Hartley was abandoned after constant flooding from the North sea. A shaft was sunk inland and reached the Low Main seam in 1846. A village expanded around the pit head which was (and still is known as New Hartley.)

In common with many mines at the time there was only one shaft which was divided into two by a wooden frame and brattice sheets. At the bottom of the shaft a furnace was lit to create an airflow - the heat rising sucking in oxygen down the downcast half of the shaft.

Hartley Colliery is well known in mining circles for a distaster that occured on the 16th of January 1862 when the beam on the pumping engine snapped falling down the shaft and destroying the previously mentioned brattice. This cut off the ventilation and seriously damaged the only exit.

The only survivors from the accident were on the cage when the beam broke, 4 died when they fell from the cage, 1 died while being rescued and 3 were lifted to safety on ropes.

Another 199 men and boys were in the pit at the time and none of them survived.
Rescue attempts were hampered by the lack of ventilation, especially from the furnace which had by now set fire to coal measures, causing massive amounts of Carbon Monoxide.

For a more detailed explanation please have a look at some of the links below.

As a result of the accident legislation was passed that made it mandatory for all mines to have more than 1 exit.

Off the main road, open 24/7.