Plaque at Aylesham

Snowdown was the deepest of the four main pits in the Kent Coalfield, reaching a depth of 3,083 feet - see Link . Work commenced in 1908, and coal was first brought to the surface on November 19th 1912. The first shaft sunk hit water at 260 feet and 22 men were drowned. The colliery was served by the Faversham to Dover railway, and a halt called Snowdown & Nonington was provided. The new town of Aylesham was built just to the north of the colliery to provide homes for the many migrant workers from Wales and the north-east of England. 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. A few ruinous buildings remain today - see Link At Aylesham can be seen a sculpture called ‘Payday at Snowdown Colliery’. This plaque explains it and the sculpture can be seen at Link

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