- Kent coalfield
The Kent coalfield was located in the eastern part of the English county of
Kent .Coal was discovered in the area in 1890 while borings for an earlyChannel Tunnel project were taking place and the resultant Shakespearecolliery lasted until 1915. In the early years many collieries were sunk but failed and theEast Kent Light Railway was built to exploit the anticipated business. Eventually only four collieries survived:Betteshanger ,Chislet ,Snowdown andTilmanstone .Geological theory
Various geologists, including Robert Godwin-Austen, theorised that the geological conditions in East Kent were conducive to the existence of coal. Godwin-Austen put forward his views in 1857, and they were accepted by Sir
Joseph Prestwich , who was a member of the Coal Commission from 1866–71. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/index.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ]Test bores
Test bores were made at the following locations:-
*
Brabourne —bore to a depth of convert|2004|ft|m|, no coal found.* Ropersole, Barham—bore to a depth of convert|2129|ft|m|, twelve thin seams found.
* Ellinge,
Dover —bore to a depth of convert|1686|ft|m|,coal measure s found, boring continued another convert|129|ft|m|2, but no seams found.*
Waldershare —bore to a depth of convert|2372|ft|m| or more, five coal seams found. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/borings.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ]* Fredville,
Nonington —bore to a depth of convert|1505|ft|m| or more in December 1896, three coal seams found.*
Goodnestone —bore to a depth of nearly convert|1000|ft|m|, no coal found. It was thought that the seams lay at a depth of convert|4000|ft|m|.* Shakespeare Cliff—bore to a depth of convert|2274|ft|m in February 1890. Fourteen seams of coal found.
Collieries
Adisham
A colliery was planned at
Adisham . It was not commenced. [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cmhrc/lom18ken.htm List of Mines] ] [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/housing.asp Coal Heritage In Kent] ]Betteshanger
Standing to the northwest of Deal, this colliery was served by a branch off the Minster to Dover line. The colliery opened in 1924, the first coal was raised in 1927. In 1945, the workforce was 2,033, with 1,594 being employed sub-surface and 439 above. [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cmhrc/lom45ken.htm List of Mines] ] . Betteshanger was the only pit to strike during
World War Two . Betteshanger was the last pit to return to work after the 1984–85 Miners' Strike and it closed onAugust 26 1989 . A few of the buildings survive today. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/betteshanger_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ] [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/betteshanger.asp Coal Heritage in Kent] ] [http://www.romar.org.uk/page68kentcoal.html Romar.org] ];Shafts sunk [http://www.kurg.org.uk/sites/coal.htm Kurg.org] ]
* No. 1. convert|2126|ft|m
* No. 2. convert|2426|ft|mChislet
Work began at
Chislet in 1914, and the colliery produced its first coal in 1918. The fact that its owners, the Anglo-Westphalian Kent Coalfield Ltd., had German connections caused questions to be asked in Parliament. The company changed it name to the North Kent Coalfield Ltd., and later to Chislet Colliery Ltd. The colliery was served by the Ashford to Minster railway, and a halt was built to serve the miners. In 1945, the workforce was 1,350, with 1,023 being employed sub-surface and 327 above. The colliery closed onJuly 25 1969 , the abandonment of steam traction byBritish Rail having taken away the market for its coal. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/chislet_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ] [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/chislet.asp Coal Heritage in Kent] ];Locomotive
*
Yorkshire Engine Company 0-6-0ST 2498/1951 worked at Chislet Colliery from 1960 until its closure. It has been preserved and now bears the name "Chislet". [http://www.brc-stockbook.co.uk/chislet.htm Buckingham Railway Centre] ];Shafts sunk
* North convert|1470|ft|m
* South convert|1467|ft|mCobham
A mine at Cobham produced a small quantity of brown
lignite , although somebituminous coal had been found. It had been open cast mined and used by Lord Darnley to heatCobham Hall . A mine was sunk in 1947 and was recorded as producing 80 tons per week. The mine closed in 1953 and the site cleared.Guilford
The first test shaft was sunk in 1906, hoping to find the coal seams discovered under
Waldershare Park. TheEast Kent Light Railway connected to the pit in November 1912. No coal had been found by 1918, and the colliery closed in the 1920s owing to geological problems. Two buildings remain at the site. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/guilford_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ];Shafts sunk
* No. 1. convert|306|ft|m
* No. 2. convert|1272|ft|m
* No. 3. convert|1272|ft|mHammill (Woodnesborough)
. Some buildings survive. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/woodnesborough.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ]
Maydensole
This colliery was to have been located near
East Langdon . Some boreholes were drilled but work was abandoned without any shafts being sunk. [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/failed.asp Coal Heritage in Kent] ]hakespeare
This colliery was located in West Hougham on the site of the original Channel Tunnel workings. Coal had been discovered at a depth of convert|300|m|ft below Shakespeare Cliff on February 15 1890. The first shaft was stated on
August 21 1891 . [http://www.thisisfolkestone.co.uk/history8.htm This is Folkestone] ] An accident onMarch 6 1897 killed eight men. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/accident.htm Folkestone Herald] ] The cause was a sudden inrush of water at a depth of convert|366|ft|m. This problem was solved by lining the shaft withcast iron tubes as the shaft was sunk. [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/shakespeare.asp Coal Heritage in Kent] ] By February 1905, just 12 tons of coal had been brought to the surface. Only 1,000 tons had been raised by 1912 and the colliery closed in December 1915 due to geological problems. Shakespeare Cliff Halt opened in 1913 to serve the miners. [http://www.kentrail.co.uk/shakespeare_cliff_halt.htm Kent Rail] ] The site was obliterated by workings in connection with building the Channel Tunnel in the 1980s. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/shakespeare_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ];Shafts sunk
* X convert|520|ft|m
* Y convert|1632|ft|m
* Z convert|1632|ft|mnowdown
was provided. In 1945 the workforce was 1,876, with 1,523 being employed sub-surface and 353 above. The colliery closed in 1986 and the shafts were capped in 1988 [http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=16022 Urbex] ] . A few buildings remain today. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/snowdown_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ]
;Locomotives
* Avonside 0-6-0ST 2004-1927 worked at Snowdown. It has been preserved. [http://www.eastkentrailway.com/stock.htm East Kent Railway] ]
* Fowler 0-4-0DM 416002/1952 worked at Snowdown. It has been preserved.;Shafts sunk
* No 1. convert|262|ft|m
* No 2. convert|3083|ft|m
* No 3. convert|2994|ft|mtonehall
This colliery was near
Lydden . It was abandoned in 1914 without coal being found. It lay derelict until 1919 when work recommenced, only to be abandoned and most of the buildings demolished in 1921. A couple of buildings remain. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/stonehall_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ];Shafts sunk
* North convert|75|ft|m
* East convert|273|ft|m
* West convert|273|ft|mTilmanstone
Work was commenced at
Tilmanstone in 1906. An accident in 1909 killed three men and destroyed the pumping system, causing the mine to flood and work was abandoned for nine months. [http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/exhibition/tilmanstone.asp Coal Heritage in Kent] ] The site was connected to the East Kent Light Railway in 1912 and coal first brought to the surface in March 1913. An accident at the pit onFebruary 27 1931 resulted inSydney William Padfield being awarded a bronzeEdward Medal , [LondonGazette|issue=33725|startpage=3837|date=12 June 1931 |accessdate=2008-01-22 PDF] the only one awarded in the Kent Coalfield. [http://www.pitwork.net/ema.htm Pitwork] ] Anaerial ropeway was built in 1930 to link the pit withDover Harbour . This includedtunnel ling through the cliff atDover to deliver the coal to a 5,000 ton bunker at the harbour. It wasn't used much after 1935, and was dismantled in 1954. [http://www.simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2242159&page=1 SimHQ] ] In 1945, the workforce was 914, with 631 being employed sub-surface and 283 above.The colliery closed in 1986, having produced over 20,000,000 tons of coal. A system of tokens was used in the pithead baths and canteen [http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/TilmanstoneBathsTokens.htm Mining Memorabilia] ] and a lamp check was operated, in common with the majority of pits. [http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/Tilmanstonechecks.htm Mining Memorabilia] ] All buildings have been demolished. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/tilmanstone_colliery.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ];Shafts sunk
* No 1. convert|1590|ft|m
* No 2. convert|3168|ft|m
* No 3. convert|3139|ft|mWingham
Work at Wingham was abandoned in 1914, without coal being found. Water had been hit, and there was no finance to buy pumps. The buildings were mothballed and sold in 1924, being used for a
milling business. The colliery was to be served by the East Kent Light Railway. [http://www.eastkent.freeuk.com/mining/wingham.htm Coal Mining in Kent] ]
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