The Rise and Fall of an East Kent Coal Mine Way We Were Richard West Founder of the Chaucer Education P Ro J E C T Vle.Tcep.Org.Uk
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22 Times, We d n e s d a y,July 9,2014 Way We Were CAN-EO1-S2 canterburytimes.co.uk The rise and fall of an east Kent coal mine Way We Were Richard West Founder of the Chaucer Education P ro j e c t vle.tcep.org.uk ONE hundred years ago, in May 1914, construction of Chislet Colliery commenced. Coal mining was to become East Ke n t ’s only heavy industry. The honour of discovering the Kent Coalfield went to Francis Brady, chief engineer of the South Eastern Railway, in ON RAILS: The locomotive St Augustine, built in 1923, was based at HARD WORK: Miners at a Kent February 1890, when he was Chislet Colliery from 1955 to 1960 Photos: Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery coalface in the 1920s seconded to the Channel Tunnel Company established by the Betteshanger, begun in 1924, Limited. branch of the South Eastern and ON THE MAP: The Kent coalfield Photo: Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery railway company. Between 1896 raising first coal in 1927. In moving the resolution, Chatham Railway opened in and 1919 forty bore holes were Each of the proposed Kent chairman Joseph Shaw s t at e d 1920. In 1924, Chislet Colliery sunk to locate coal in Kent. collieries were situated in rural that “the press had got an idea Housing Limited was Twenty-nine of those bore holes areas. The problem from the into their heads that this was a established, to build a village, showed the existence of coal. outset was how to transport coal German company, whereas they later named Hersden, of 300 Fourteen collieries in Kent from the mines to the customers had only one German houses close to the colliery. Pit subsequently progressed beyond and where to house the miners shareholder, Mr Peritz.” head baths, the first in Kent, the planning stage; most were and their families. Willi Peritz lived at were also opened in that year. located within a triangle German industrialists took an Canterbury, where the local Chislet Colliery had an bounded by Canterbury, Dover interest in the Kent coalfield’s authorities were suspicious of important role during the and Deal, in an area which potential. Test bores were drilled him, and the company’s Second World War as a training became established as the Kent at: Hoades Wood, near Sturry; telephone was removed because pit for what became known as Coalfield. Only four of those Reculver, near Herne Bay; and it was thought that it was being the “Bevin Boys”. From collieries were to prove viable in Chitty and Chislet Park, near used for purposes other than December 1943 onward, one in the longer term: Tilmanstone, C a n t e r bu r y. those of the company. This had ten men selected by ballot on begun 1906, raising first coal to The Anglo-Westphalian Coal hampered the company a good conscription for war service did the surface in 1912; Snowdown, Syndicate Limited leased land deal in carrying on its business. not go into the armed services begun 1908, raising first coal in from the Ecclesiastical That difficulty was resolved by but worked in the coal mines. I N D U S T RY: A view of Chislet Colliery in the 1930s 1912; Chislet, begun 1914, raising Commissioners at Chislet Park, Mr Peritz offering his Between March 1945 and 1952, Photo: Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery first coal in 1918 and commencing January 1, 1912. resignation, which the board pit ponies worked at Chislet The leases for the land were of promptly accepte. It seems Mr Colliery, with comfortable various lengths, with the Peritz might have became a stables provided to house the shortest being 60 years. “guest of the nation”at ponies below ground. Permission to transport coal Alexandra Palace, where “e n e my On January 1, 1947, Chislet along the Sarre Penn and out to aliens”were interned during the Colliery, along with all other sea via the Wantsum Channel First World War. collieries in Great Britain, was was refused because of the Shafts n at i o n a l i s e d . The colliery’s damage which would be caused highest average level of output to the natural habitat along the Sinking of the two 16ft- was achieved in 1957, when 8,949 waterway. Coal prospecting then diameter shafts resumed in early tons of coal per week were raised moved to the parish of Westbere, 1915. North shaft was completed to the surface, amounting to just between the Canterbury to in July 1918 and reached 1,470 under half a million tons per Margate Road to south of the feet deep. South shaft was year, with a manpower of 1,681. Canterbury to Minster railway completed in August 1919 and Chislet Colliery’s main line, to which a branch line for reached 1,480 feet. The estimated customer was British Railways, the colliery was constructed. quantity of workable coal was which in the 1960s replaced The Anglo-Westphalian 75million tons. steam locomotives with diesel (Chislet, Kent) Colliery Limited However, strikes and lack of and electric ones. Chislet company was incorporated on money for repairs led to parts of Colliery was then no longer November 6, 1913. Construction the mine collapsing during its considered financially viable. of Chislet Colliery’s first shaft early years, causing subsidence Miners were transferred to the began in May 1914. Work on of the ground above. In 1929, the other three remaining coal pits sinking both shafts stopped at 30 colliery was re-organised and in Kent, and Chislet Colliery feet depth, due to water bearing relations between the company closed completely on July 25, sand. A German contractor was and staff were improved. 1969. The former industrial site employed to bore 11 holes As the local community had now forms Lakeside Business around each shaft, into which no experience of mining, the Park and a nature reserve. cement was then forced at a workforce derived from Tilmanstone Colliery closed in pressure of 600 pounds per traditional mining areas, 1986 and Snowdon Colliery in square inch to harden the sand especially South Wales. Several 1987. Betteshanger Colliery was layer. This was an established hundred houses were leased by the last to close in Kent, in 1989. proven method used in Germany the company in Thanet for the to keep water out of shafts, but miners, who travelled daily to STEP BACK IN was relatively new in Britain. Grove Ferry station by special TIME ONLINE Three months later, Britain miners’trains. Special buses ran declared war with Germany, and from other Thanet towns and IFor more tales from the an extraordinary annual general Herne Bay to the colliery. city’s past, visit meeting changed the company’s Chislet Colliery Halt on the name to The Chislet Colliery Canterbury and Ramsgate canterbur ytimes.co.u k /n osta l g i a Thought for the Week I HAVE recently returned from IBy the Reverend do with slowing down, most are walking the whole 630 miles of David Bedford trying to do to much and not the South West Coastal Path and St Andrew’s, Canterbury really succeeding, and most it was the most amazing time would find their soul refreshed if ever! It was good to slow down for they reverted to being human A combined ascent of 115,000 the 48 days of walking, meet beings rather than human feet, more ups and downs than people on the way and listen and doings. you could ever imagine, and see more than my normal rushed In the Old Testament many are physical scenery to match life allows. described as “walking with God”: anything anywhere in the world. The Apostle John in one of his oh for a new generation in local news Of course, as we know, the letters says: “Whoever claims to Canterbury who know what that south-west was badly hit by the live in Him must walk as Jesus really means. canterburytimes.co.uk all day winter storms, but it’s recovering did.” Oh, and perhaps we too will well. Most of you reading this could then survive the storms! everyday print |online |mobile.