Kent mining museum and Betteshanger park
I’ve always been fascinating by the history of Kent coal mining, so I was really excited to finally visit the newly opened museum. I really enjoyed finding out more about the local history, listening to the miners families stories and learning about the hard work and danger of life underground.
The first time I’ve visited the site it was about 2015 and at that time, we walked around the area noticing what little remained from the Betteshanger Colliery. Most of the colliery is now a country park and a wildlife centre with lakes. The coal spoil is grassed over and creates what looks like hilly landscape. The museum is based in what was the old engine shed.
The Kent Mining Museum at Betteshanger Park officially opened in spring 2022 and it’s the only museum in Kent dedicated to coal mining.
Betteshanger Colliery was the largest and last operating coal mine in the Kent coalfield on the outskirts of Deal. The colliery’s shaft sinking originally began in 1924, and the mine officially opened in 1927. At its peak, Betteshanger employed over 2,000 workers and produced up to 1 million tons of coal annually. Betteshanger was the last of Kent’s four major collieries to close, officially closing on August 26, 1989.
What to see inside the Kent Mining Museum
I like that the museum tells the story of Kent mining, but it’s done in very engaging way. You can listen to the stories of miners families and learn more about what the day to day life was like.
There are also interactive exhibits with the history of coal mining and historic mining equipment, tools and technology used throughout the 100-year history of the Kent coalfields.
The downstairs room has more information about the miner’s strikes, the impact on local communities, newsreels and local newspapers from that time.
But what’s the most humbling thing is to realise that the museum volunteers are often ex miners themselves. We had a wonderful introduction talk by a volunteer who actually worked at Bettershanger Colliery before it closed down.
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Betteshanger Colliery History
Betteshanger colliery was originally located to the northwest of Deal and was served by a branch off the Minster to Dover train line. The colliery opened in 1924, and the first coal was raised to the surface in 1927. In 1945, the colliery had a workforce of 2,033, with 1,594 employees working sub-surface and 439 above ground.
Because Betteshanger colliery was on the outskirts of Deal, the miners initially lived in Deal itself. But soon enough there were problems. Apparently, the locals didn’t particularly like the site of the miners when they were returning home from work every day. This was because there were no bathing facilities at the colliery and the site of hundreds of men blackened with coal was probably too much for the locals. Some locals felt so strongly about this, that ‘No Miners’ signs were placed in boarding house windows in the town.
As a result, in 1929, isolated farmland on the outskirts of Deal, at Mill Hill was acquired to build 950 houses plus social and sport facilities. The new estate was also for the miners at nearby Snowdown Colliery. Nowadays the miners have now gone, but perhaps they had the last laugh after all, since the houses built to keep them out of the Deal have now been incorporated into the town’s boundaries.
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The miner’s strike in 1942
By all accounts, Betteshanger was the biggest and most militant of all the Kent coalfields. Betteshanger was infamous for the 1942 Betteshanger miners’ strike, which was the only such action during World War II.
The strike began on January 9, 1942, when miners protested against reduced wages and poor working conditions after being required to work a new, more difficult coalface known as No. 2, which was narrower and harder to mine. Approximately 1,000 miners participated in the strike.
The government, under Prime Minister Winston Churchill, viewed the strike as a serious threat to the war effort due to coal’s vital importance. The strike lasted for about three weeks, and the government responded by prosecuting and fining 1,050 miners under wartime emergency regulations. Three union officials—George Powe, Jack Dunman, and Jack White—were imprisoned for their roles in the dispute. Despite the government’s hardline stance, the miners received widespread support from their community and other workers.
The dispute ultimately led to improved allowances for working difficult coal seams and reinforced the importance of strong union representation in the coal industry.
The mine closure
By the late 1980s, the British coal industry was facing declining profitability, increasing competition from cheaper imported coal, and a national shift towards alternative energy sources. The cost of extracting coal from the Kent coalfield was relatively high because of geological difficulties and the depth of the seams.
Betteshanger was the last pit to return to work after the 1984–85 Miners’ Strike, and it eventually closed on 26 August 1989. This made the Bettershanger colliery to be the last one in Kent to close.
Coal mining shafts sunk at Betteshanger Colliery
- No. 1. 2,126 feet (648 m)
- No. 2. 2,426 feet (739 m)
Where else you can learn about coal mining in Kent
Apart from the Kent Mining Museum at Betteshanger Park only two other museums in Deal and Dover have permanent displays about coal mining in the area. These are local museums, which have small areas dedicated to the history of coal mining in Kent, but they are always worth visiting if you are passing by.
But I think the best way to learn about the coal mining in Kent is to walk the Miner’s Trail, which starts just outside Betteshanger Park. The trail connects all the main collieries, villages and towns, that you’ve just learned about at the museum. I found it to be very humbling walking around the places that have seen so much of this industrial history. On the way you can see remains of buildings and try to detect the old collieries and coal mining activities, which were part of the landscape for such a long time.
I’d also recommend that you visit Aylesham town, which was built specifically for miners and their families in 1926. The village layout and architecture is practically unchanged and even today, the town feels very different than others I’ve visited in Kent.
The Betteshanger Park
Apart from the museum, there is so much more to see and do at the Betteshanger Park, including renting a bike and trying out the traffic-free cycling paths and mountain bike trails. We’ve decided to walk around the park, but I’ve noticed, that some paths and trails are only for bikes, so you need to keep an eye where you are going.
There is also large outdoor adventure park for children in front of the main building.
Refreshments
Lamp Room Restaurant – great for casual breakfasts and lunches, but it’s worth booking as the restaurant can get super busy, especially at the weekends. Opening times are Wednesday – Sunday all year round.
Take out cafe van – this is perfect for when the restaurant is busy and you want just a coffee. I had the homemade carrot cake and sausages roll and they were absolutely delicious.
Practical information for visiting Kent Mining Museum
- Location: Betteshanger Country Park near Deal, Kent.
- Opening Times: Wednesday to Sunday: 9:30am – 4:00pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Ticket Prices: Free, but donations are very welcome
The rest of the Betteshanger Park is open from 8am – 5pm daily – all year round. These hours apply to both the park grounds and the parking facilities.
This blog post was originally published on 19 April 2025 and last updated on 19 April 2025
