Mining museum to open after delays

A £1.7m museum dedicated to Kent’s mining history will open its doors in April.

The free-to-enter facility is the first of its kind in the county and forms part of Betteshanger County Park’s new £6m visitor centre.

Both projects faced setbacks throughout the pandemic after their previous owners went into administration in 2019.

Support from park owners Quinn Estates, the Kent Mining Heritage Foundation (KMHF), and The National Lottery Heritage Fund has seen the projects to completion.

KHMF Chair Stuart Elgar said the museum is for 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.”