The £1.7m free-to-enter museum and stunning new visitor centre opens at Betteshanger Country Park

Kent Mining Museum will officially open this April and already has two weeks’ worth of fun and games planned for all the family.

The long-awaited museum commemorating Kent’s mining heritage at Betteshanger Country Park – and the country park’s £6m new visitor centre – will open its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday 2nd April from 1pm with a special celebration.

Doors open at 10am to invited guests and the opening day celebrations will get underway with a colourful parade from local school children, members of the local community and special guests around the new buildings, followed by speeches, tours and toasts to the sound of the Betts Band and Snowdown Choir.

From 1pm, doors to the museum will be opened to the public. Families can explore the free-to-enter museum and its interactive displays, before trying their hands at craft-making, creating safety lamps, pit checks and snap tins throughout the afternoon.

In addition to the opening day celebrations, there will be plenty of free activities for families to enjoy site throughout the Easter holidays, including:

Drama workshops from Storytales Theatre – Mon 11th April, Thurs 14th April and Fri 15th April
Community bunting workshops – Tues 5th April, Sat 16th April (book your slot online)
Poetry workshops with Leo Boix – Mon 4th April, Mon 18th April
Meet a Miner learning sessions – Sun 3rd April, Mon 4th April, Thurs 9th April, Weds 13th April, Mon 18th April
Photo walk with Elliot Masters – Sun 10th April
Banner making with Rebecca Strickson – Weds 6th April, Tues 12th April
Craft workshops – Sat 2nd April, Sun 3rd April, Weds 7th April, Sat 9th April, Weds 13th April.

All activities are free, but booking is advised as spaces are limited. Book via the website at http://www.kentminingmuseum.co.uk/blog/events

The first facility of its kind in the county, Kent Mining Museum tells the unique story of the county’s mining communities and the former Betteshanger Colliery.

The museum is free to enter and its interactive exhibits will “educate, inform and even challenge perceptions about the county’s mining heritage”, using a combination of video and audio content from the miners themselves, and impressive displays of historic mining collections. Youngsters can even dress up in mining kit as they explore the museum.

In addition to the museum, visitors will be able to enjoy new experiences around the 250-acre country park including a huge new mining-themed play area, a new café with striking interior designs inspired by the miners’ materials, and a new programme of learning activities and events at the park. A brand-new Heritage Trail that will traverse the land’s colliery connections will also open next year.

The £1.7m museum is housed within Betteshanger Country Park’s brand new £6m visitor centre. Both projects have been driven forward by the park’s new owners Quinn Estates, in partnership with the Kent Mining Heritage Foundation (KMHF).

The museum is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Chair of the KMHF, Stuart Elgar, said: “Without the support of the ex-mining community, funders, staff and the dedicated team at Quinn Estates we would not be where we are today, and we are grateful to everyone for their support and passion.

“We are incredibly proud to be telling the story of the Kent Coalfield and those who lived and worked in it. This museum isn’t about a nostalgia trip for elderly miners or their children - it’s for our grandchildren and future generations. The story of the 5,000 or so migrating miners is unique in the British coalfields, and it is important that it is kept alive.”

Coal was first discovered in Kent in 1890, but it wasn’t until 1912 that four successful East Kent Colleries were established: Tilmanstone, Chislet, Snowdown and Betteshanger. Betteshanger was the largest Kent mine, first reaching coal in 1927 and was ‘home’ to 1,500 miners. It closed in 1989, the last of the Kent pits to close.

Betteshanger Country Park was established in 2007, when the former coal mining spoil heap was transformed into a public space for people to enjoy. The 250-acre site was acquired in 2019 by leading Kent-based developers Quinn Estates, who have steadily transformed the site into a visitor attraction, events space and centre for sporting excellence, attracting around 150,000 visitors per year.

For more information, please visit: www.betteshanger-park.co.uk