THE FOURTEEN miners who lost their lives in the terrible Exhall pit disaster in 1915 were remembered at St. Giles Meadow on Sunday (September 20) as relatives, friends and church members came together.
The High Sherriff of Warwickshire, Janet Bell-Smith, unveiled a memorial commemorating those who perished.
A simple yet imposing granite boulder, the memorial stands in the centre of a circle of Silver Birch trees and faces towards the site of the former colliery, now home to the Bayton Road Industrial Estate.
Thanks were made to Keith Corrigan, whose idea for a circle of trees set the project in motion, Mark Randle and Thomas Hackett – from J.E Hacketts and Sons – who produced and fitted the memorial plate and suggested the granite boulder.
Generous donations from from several individuals at Bedworth Rotary Club helped fund the costs of the surrounding trees.
What began as a simple aim to commemorate a tragic accident, has become an inspirational community project, with a memorial that reflects the true spirit of Bedworth and Exhall.
Tens of families turned out to the unveiling of the memorial – with some families discovering previously unknown family members.
