The Kent Mining Museum, due to open at Betteshanger Park near Deal in 2018, has become custodian of over 500 artefacts relating to the history of the Kent Coalfield.
The result of a £1.3m investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the museum will tell the story of coal; from how it was discovered and how it was mined, to the day-to-day life of the workers who mined it.
Following the completion of its new storeroom, the museum will now house the collection, on loan from Dover Museum, which includes mining workwear, signage, equipment and ephemera. The collection will form part of the museum’s displays and its research archive.
With specialist storage units and environmental monitoring equipment, the museum is now able to care for and help preserve items relating to Kent’s mining heritage.
