Mining heritage will be celebrated on Bank Holiday Monday, when Fowlmead Country Park opens its doors to the Kent Miners’ Festival.

The park, built on the former Betteshanger Colliery site, will play host to thousands of former pit workers and their families in what is hoped to become an annual two day event. The fun includes a vintage fair, music and stage entertainment with brass bands, dance routines and gymnastics between 10am and 5pm

Free Heritage buses, run by the Friends of the East Kent Road Car Company group, will be running from Deal, Sandwich, Aylesham, Nonington, Elvington, Eythorne, Betteshanger and Hersden.

Festival organisers would like to run a tug o’ war competition and interested teams should contact 01304 615390 or fowlmead@googlemail.com or for further details.