Betteshanger Colliery 1999

Standing on the top of a hill between Deal and Sandwich, Betteshanger Colliery was first opened in 1921. Proposals were put forward to extend the workings out under the sea, with further pits to be sunk on the Sandhills near the old Coach and Horses inn to the north of Deal.  The colliery took its name from the nearby village of Betteshanger, although probably nearer to both Northbourne and Finglesham.  A small pit village grew up around the colliery buildings to house some of the workers, but the bulk of the miners were housed in a large new estate on the south side of Deal.

Coal and spoil was carried by an enclosed conveyor belt system down the hill, under the main Deal-Sandwich road and across farmland to the tip by the railway.

The colliery finally closed in 1989.  Click here for pictures of the mine just before it closed.

Just a few buildings remain on the top of the hill.  The slag heap on the other side of the Deal-Sandwich road has been landscaped to improve the view.  The signal box and one other building remain where the sidings were on the Deal-Sandwich main line.

	A rare example of a red telephone box stands outside the deserted offices at the entrance to the mine. Click here for a more recent view of this area.
This picture of a Betteshanger Colliery Registration Check was kindly supplied by Mr. David Shaw.
	Many of the old mine buildings have survived, including the winding sheds, but the pit-head gear was removed before the shafts were sealed.
The site is now overgrown and a haven for wildlife.
For more information on Betteshanger colliery and the history of coal mining, visit the PITWORK site maintained by Bill Riley, an ex Betteshanger miner.

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