A little bit of the History of the Villages of Aylesham & Snowdown

It is common knowledge that Aylesham was built to house the miners and the families of the miners that would work down Snowdown Colliery .It is also well known that Abercrombie designed Aylesham in the shape of a pit head, what is not so well known or appreciated is the social upheaval that was caused by dropping a large mining village down in the heart of the Kent’s peaceful countryside.

Aylesham was built in a very short space of time, a branch line from the railway being run into the heart of the village in order to supply the vast amount of materials needed.

The greatest influx of miners were economic migrants as they were unemployed, many through being militant during the general strike and not being taken back. Some were lured by the prospect of living in a house with electricity, hot water on tap, an inside bathroom and open countryside around them. Before then there had been a mainly intransient population.

Miners came from every industrialised area of Britain, they got here every way they could, most walked, from Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Lancashire and many other areas where there were mines, most left their families behind to be sent for later if they got a job and a house (which were not guaranteed). The stories of these journeys alone would fill a book.

With a high percentage of unaccompanied men in Aylesham who worked hard in atrocious and dangerous conditions all week and at weekends with money in their pockets and no one to restrain them they drank, gambled and fought. Aylesham was like a frontier town. You can imagine what the clash of cultures and customs caused between our newly formed society and the indigenous population.

This changed as more families arrived; sharp tongues started to rein the men in, as the working conditions improved many of the men and their families started to settle down.

The way the cultures and customs have merged to make a very sociable and friendly society is very interesting. Working men’s clubs were built, churches were built,( more churches than clubs) a choir, band, football and rugby clubs were formed. With typical miners practicality the best of the different cultures and customs were adopted There are still letters, film, photos, audio and video tapes stored in peoples attics and cupboards dating back to the first bricks being laid. We believe if we don’t gather this history now it may be thrown away as the old people pass away and the young do not understand the value of such items.

This has been a very condensed version of our history; it does not show the characters, events stories or photos of our very colourful past.

Aylesham has gone through a depressed time socially since the closure of the pit.