The long-awaited Kent Mining Museum will open today.

Based at Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal, the £1.7m, free-to-enter museum pays homage to the county's mining heritage.

It sits inside a new £6m visitor centre, which will host a series of workshops over the coming weeks as part of the Easter break fun.

The museum and visitor centre will open their doors for the first time at 10am to invited guests, before members of the public can join from 1pm.

Opening day celebrations will start with a colourful parade from school children, followed by a tour, speeches and toasts to the sound of the Betts Band and Snowdown Choir.

Later, families will be able to explore the museum and its interactive displays, before trying their hands at craft-making, creating safety lamps, pit checks and snap tins throughout the afternoon.

Other free activities for families to enjoy throughout the Easter holidays include drama and bunting workshops, poetry sessions and walks. To book, visit here.

The first facility of its kind in Kent, the museum tells the unique story of the county’s mining communities and the former Betteshanger Colliery.

Its interactive exhibits will educate, inform and challenge perceptions about the history, using a combination of video and audio content from the miners themselves, as well as displays of historic mining collections.

Youngsters can also dress up in mining kit as they explore the museum.

In addition to the museum, visitors will be able to enjoy new experiences around the 250-acre country park including a huge new mining-themed play area, and The Lamp cafe and bar - which opened on Monday.

A brand-new Heritage Trail that will traverse the land’s colliery connections will also open next year.

The project - which has been plagued by delays including money troubles under previous owners Hadlow College and then coronavirus - have been driven forward by the park’s new owners Quinn Estates, in partnership with the Kent Mining Heritage Foundation (KMHF).

The museum is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Chair of the KMHF, Stuart Elgar, said: “Without the support of the ex-mining community, funders, staff and the dedicated team at Quinn Estates we would not be where we are today, and we are grateful to everyone for their support and passion.

“We are incredibly proud to be telling the story of the Kent coalfield and those who lived and worked in it.

"This museum isn’t about a nostalgia trip for elderly miners or their children - it’s for our grandchildren and future generations.

"The story of the 5,000 or so migrating miners is unique in the British coalfields, and it is important that it is kept alive.”

Coal was first discovered in Kent in 1890, but it wasn’t until 1912 that four successful East Kent Colleries were established: Tilmanstone, Chislet, Snowdown and Betteshanger.

Betteshanger was the largest Kent mine, first reaching coal in 1927 and was ‘home’ to 1,500 miners.

It closed in 1989, the last of the Kent pits to close.

Betteshanger Country Park was established in 2007, when the former coal mining spoil heap was transformed into a public space for people to enjoy.

The site was acquired in 2019 by developers Quinn Estates, and is now a visitor attraction, events space and centre for sporting excellence, attracting around 150,000 people per year.

Last year, plans emerged to build a new Wave Garden, which would provide surfing experiences, at Betteshanger, as well as a 5* hotel, with 56 rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.

Quinn Estates are also proposing to build a new housing development close by, named Cottington Park.

This would include 975 homes, a two-form entry primary school, a park-and-ride with electric buses linking to Deal railway station and other improvements to local roads.

Mark Quinn, CEO of Quinn Estates, added: “The Kent Mining Museum is of huge importance to the local community, and the UK’s coal mining heritage.

"That’s why telling Betteshanger’s story was an absolute priority for us when we took over the ownership of Betteshanger Country Park, and helping to get the museum project get back on track with the collective help of the National Lottery and the mining community has been an honour.”

Betteshanger Country Park is open daily from 8am to 5.30pm, and is free to enter.