As many as 100 people attended the opening of a memorial garden for miners killed at Snowdown Colliery.

The ceremony was at Aylesham Heritage Centre on Saturday.

A pair of black granite plaques with the names of all 57 men and boys who died in accidents between 1907 and 1965 was unveiled by Tracy Richardson of the Co-op Faversham.

One bears the victims’ names, and the other a detailed illustration of miners working underground.

Heritage Centre chairman Keith Owen, who led the project, said: “Today brings us to the end of a three-year journey.

“This sent our researchers back to the days when Snowdown Colliery was in its infancy and when the first miner, Edward Knight, was killed in 1907.

“The miners working the coal seams were bonded together by hardship and common danger.

“They would be pleased to know that they have not been forgotten by the mining fraternity of this community and beyond.

“This memorial is a tribute to the continuing sense of community that our village has retained throughout the years.

“It would not have been possible without the help and support of so many people, and we are deeply indebted to the Co-operative Society, who donated this magnificent work of art to our community.”

Mr Owen also thanked the individuals and organisations that also contributed to the fundraising work for the garden.

Some £9,000 was raised with the help of groups such as Aylesham Community Project, Dover District Council, Aylesham Parish Council and Ratling Social Club.

Children from both local primary schools helped with planting the garden.

Philip Sutcliffe, past chairman of the Snowdown branch of the National Union of Mineworkers, said: “This is a beautiful memorial but at the same time it represents a great sadness as each name holds a woeful tragedy.”

Edward Knight, a sinker involved in the early work of creating the mine, drowned in a shaft after an inrush of water.

In 1910 two men were killed when a boiler exploded at the pit top.

Among the youngest victims was Rex Taylor, 15.

He died in 1943 when he fell from a building and through a glass roof.

Ironically, he was afraid of working underground so opted to be in an overground maintenance gang.

A poem, written by Mr Sutcliffe’s wife, Kay, reflecting on the closure of the mining industry, was read out by Chantelle Fieldsend, and William Calvert’s Miners’ Prayer was read by Nicole Milton.

Centre researcher Jim Davies, a Betteshanger miner from Deal, said that unearthing the names over the past three years had been difficult as no local records had been kept by the National Coal Board and much of the information needed had to be taken from inquest records.

In all, he said, 202 men were killed in accidents across the entire Kent coalfield.

Ms Richardson explained afterwards that stonemasons from the Co-op’s funeral service had worked on the plaques.

The firm had paid for them to be shipped from China and engraved.

The Co-op had opened Aylesham’s first shop when the first residents arrived in 1927.