Historical Account of Hartley, 1894

HARTLEY.

THE village of Hartley has a very ancient history, and is connected with the earliest history of the Delaval family. Its situation at the headlands of a reef of rocks running into the sea, and standing upon a hill, makes it a most conspicuous object in the landscape; its red-tiled houses giving a rich colouring to the coast. It was one of the Beacon Points on the coast when the Beacon Fires were used as warnings of danger or invasion. Before the decline of the Coal and Bottle Trade of the Seaton Delaval harbour, Hartley was a village of some importance; it had its two windmills and a Workhouse for the township; and its sailors were among the finest class of men on the English seas. The extensive quarries were also famed for the fine grit of its stone, and large quantities were annually shipped to London. The view from the road leading to Seaton Sluice is the finest on the coast, and cannot be excelled in England. On a clear day views of the Durham coast on the one hand, and the long stretch of the Northumbrian coast on the other side, make it one of the choicest sites for a seaside residence that can be selected. At night time, when the herring boats are out especially, the view is unsurpassed by any in Europe, except it is the Bay of Naples itself. The Lighthouses of Tynemouth and Souter Point on the south, and those of Blyth and Coquet Island Lighthouses are quite visible; while the hundreds of fires on the herring boats as they rise and sink on the waves, covering the whole line of sea coast, makes the sight one of the most delightful it is possible to imagine.