Miner's Way Trail

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Miner's Way Trail
Footpath and fields - geograph.org.uk - 652151.jpg
Footpath and fields near Elvington
Length27 mi (43 km)
Location South East England
Trailheads Sholden
51°13′30″N1°22′08″E / 51.225°N 1.369°E / 51.225; 1.369 (Miner's Way Trail)

Northbourne
51°13′16″N1°20′17″E / 51.221°N 1.338°E / 51.221; 1.338 (Miner's Way Trail)
Betteshanger
51°13′26″N1°19′30″E / 51.224°N 1.325°E / 51.224; 1.325 (Miner's Way Trail)
Tilmanstone
51°12′54″N1°17′42″E / 51.215°N 1.295°E / 51.215; 1.295 (Miner's Way Trail)
Elvington
51°12′32″N1°15′25″E / 51.209°N 1.257°E / 51.209; 1.257 (Miner's Way Trail)
Shepherdswell
51°11′38″N1°14′13″E / 51.194°N 1.237°E / 51.194; 1.237 (Miner's Way Trail)
Barfrestone
51°12′22″N1°14′10″E / 51.206°N 1.236°E / 51.206; 1.236 (Miner's Way Trail)
Nonington
51°13′30″N1°13′34″E / 51.225°N 1.226°E / 51.225; 1.226 (Miner's Way Trail)
Aylesham
51°13′34″N1°12′07″E / 51.226°N 1.202°E / 51.226; 1.202 (Miner's Way Trail)
Wingham
51°16′16″N1°12′47″E / 51.271°N 1.213°E / 51.271; 1.213 (Miner's Way Trail)
Ash
51°16′44″N1°16′34″E / 51.279°N 1.276°E / 51.279; 1.276 (Miner's Way Trail)
Eastry
51°14′38″N1°12′29″E / 51.244°N 1.208°E / 51.244; 1.208 (Miner's Way Trail)

Contents

Finglesham
51°14′13″N1°19′59″E / 51.237°N 1.333°E / 51.237; 1.333 (Miner's Way Trail)
Use Hiking
SeasonAll year

The Miner's Way Trail is a long-distance circular footpath in England, starting at Sholden, Kent. Linking up the coalfield parishes of East Kent. Including; the parishes of Deal, Ash, Aylesham, Chillenden, Eastry, Eythorne, Elvington, Goodnestone, Nonington, Northbourne, Coldred, Staple, Tilmanstone and Wingham. [1]

The trail is approximately 27 miles (43 km) in length. [2]

A link route creates two shorter walks of around 14 miles each. The Waymark for the trail is a white circle with a Miners lamp, train and leaf.


A Cycle Trail 30 miles (48 km) also follows most of the trail, starting and finishing at Deal. Sections of the cycling route follow the existing Sustrans National Cycle Network Regional Route 16 (Dover to Canterbury, via Adisham) also and connects with Regional Route 17 (to Sandwich). Linking to the Viking Coastal Trail and National Cycle Route 1. [3] The route can be comfortably completed in a day. [1]

History

In 2001, Dover District Council launched the 'Coalfields Heritage Initiative Kent' (CHIK) project, [1] led by Dover Museum and the White Cliffs Countryside Project. [4] The CHIK project's aim was to record and preserve East Kent's mining heritage. In 1890, Coal was discovered near Dover; this led to a small industry based on the mineral being set-up. Many coal mines were started, only to quickly fail, and just 4 collieries survived; Snowdown, Tilmanstone, Betteshanger and Chislet. Most of the workers for these new mines came from traditional coal areas, including south Wales, the Midlands and the North East. New villages were built to house them, including Aylesham, Elvington, Hersden and Mill Hill in Deal. The last colliery, Betteshanger, closed in 1989.

The trail has then been developed following current public footpaths, bridleway and byways to link all these coalfield linked villages. Much of this arable landscape, with its many hedges and woodlands, has not changed since Saxon times, boasting a long and rich history. The trail also links to the North Downs Way (another long distance path between Canterbury and Dover) and the East Kent Light Railway at Shepherdswell.

A guide book of the trails is available. [5] Also 9 laminated leaflets describing circular walks are available.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eythorne</span> Human settlement in England

Eythorne is a civil parish and small village located 7.3 miles north-northwest of Dover in Kent, with a combined population of approximately 2,500 residents including nearby villages Barfrestone and Elvington. Although not classed as one of the former pit villages of Kent, it was only about a mile from Tilmanstone – which closed in 1986. Today many of its residents commute to work in Dover (Docks), or in Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dover District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. It is named after its largest town, the port town of Dover. The council is based in Whitfield on the outskirts of Dover. The district also covers the towns of Deal, Sandwich, Walmer and the surrounding rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastry</span> Civil parish in Kent, England

Eastry is a civil parish in Kent, England, around 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) southwest of Sandwich. It was voted "Kent Village of the Year 2005".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wingham, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Wingham is a village and civil parish in the Dover District of Kent, England. The village lies along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough to London, and is close to Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barfrestone</span> Human settlement in England

Barfrestone is a village and a former civil parish, now in the parish of Eythorne, in the Dover district, in east Kent, England. It is between Shepherdswell, Eythorne and Nonington, close to the pit villages of Elvington and Snowdown. In 1931 the parish had a population of 91. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Eythorne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvington, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Elvington is a small pit village on a ridge in between Canterbury and Dover in the county of Kent in Southeast England. Located near Eythorne, Elvington was mostly built in the early 20th century to serve the nearby coal mine at Tilmanstone, as were other Kent Coalfield villages including Snowdown, Aylesham and Betteshanger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aylesham</span> Village in Kent, England

Aylesham is a village and civil parish in the Dover district of Kent, England. The village is located around 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southeast of the cathedral city of Canterbury, and around 8.5 miles (13.7 km) northwest of the town and port of Dover. According to the 2001 Census, the parish had a population including Drellingore and Snowdown of 3,884, increasing to 3,999 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonington</span> Human settlement in England

Nonington, is a civil parish and village in the southeast corner of Kent, situated halfway between the historic city of Canterbury and the channel port town of Dover. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Easole Street, to which it is conjoined and Frogham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Coalfield</span> Coal mining area in England

The Kent Coalfield was a coalfield in the eastern part of the English county of Kent. The Coalfields Trust defines the Kent Coalfield as the wards of Barham Downs and Marshside in the Canterbury district, and the wards of Aylesham, Eastry, Eythorne & Shepherdswell, Middle Deal & Sholden, Mill Hill and North Deal in the Dover district.

The following is a list of recreational walks in Kent, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hersden</span> Human settlement in England

Hersden is a village east of Canterbury in Kent, South East England. It was established as a planned coalmining village in the 1920s and is on the A28 road between Canterbury and the Isle of Thanet. Work in the Kent Coalfield was the main source of employment in the village until the closure of the Kent colliery in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sholden</span> Human settlement in England

Sholden is a small village adjacent to the seaside town of Deal, lying on the road towards Sandwich in Kent, South East England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilmanstone</span> Human settlement in England

Tilmanstone is a small village and civil parish in Kent, in the South East of England, near Eastry, a much bigger and more developed area. Tilmanstone no longer has a village school; however, the independent Northbourne Park School is close to the parish boundary. The name of Tilmanstone has historically been famous for its colliery, although it is located in the village of Eythorne, operated from 1906 to 1986 as one of the four main pits of the Kent coalfield. The population taken at the 2011 Census also included that of the nearby hamlet of Ashley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Kent Light Railway</span>

The East Kent Light Railway was part of the Colonel Stephens group of cheaply built rural light railways in England. Holman Fred Stephens was engineer from its inception, subsequently becoming director and manager. The line ran from Shepherdswell to Wingham Station with a branch from Eastry through Poison Cross to Richborough Port. Built primarily for colliery traffic within the Kent Coalfields, the line was built with many spurs and branches to serve the mines, with cancelled plans to construct extensions to several others. The success of Tilmanstone colliery allowed the main line of the railway to continue operation until 1986. A remainder of the line became the East Kent Railway, a heritage railway, in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northbourne, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Northbourne is a village and civil parish near Deal in Kent, England. It has a public house, The Hare and Hounds, a primary school and is the home of the current, and prior, Baron Northbourne. It should not be confused with an area in Bournemouth of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowdown</span> Human settlement in England

Snowdown is a hamlet near Dover in Kent, England. It was the location of one of the four chief collieries of the Kent coalfield, which closed in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betteshanger</span> Human settlement in England

Betteshanger is a village and former civil parish. now in the parish of Northbourne, in the Dover district, in east Kent, England, near Deal. It gave its name to the largest of the four chief collieries of the Kent coalfield. In 1931 the parish had a population of 55. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Northbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frogham, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Frogham is a hamlet in the Dover District of East Kent, England, between Canterbury and Dover. It is located between the former coal mining village of Aylesham and Shepherdswell. It is near the site of the former Snowdown colliery. In published statistics, the population of the hamlet is included in the civil parish of Nonington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Cycle Route 1</span> Cycle route in the United Kingdom

National Cycle Route 1 is a route of the National Cycle Network, running from Dover to Tain. The 1,264 mi-long (2,034-kilometre) cycle-path is located in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betteshanger Park</span> Park in Kent, England

Betteshanger Park is a park near Deal, in Kent, England. It covers the site of a former colliery spoil tip.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The History of the Coalfield Parishes". www.dover.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  2. ↑ James Kirby. "Miner's Way Trail". Long Distance Walkers Association. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Sustrans. "Sustrans Route Mapping". www.sustrans.org.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Miners Way Cycle Trail". www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk. 2005. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Hadaway, Paul; Cann, John (19 March 2007). Travelling the Miner's Way. Dover District Council. ISBN   978-0951757727.
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