Betteshanger Country Park

Betteshanger Country Park is near Deal, in Kent, England.HistoryThis 365acre park is situated on the site of a former spoil tip of the former Betteshanger Colliery, one of the largest collieries in Kent. The colliery opened in 1924–30 and closed in 1989. The spoil tip was located to the north east of the former colliery. The original area (before the spoil tip) was known as Foulmead Marsh and the community (with help from Dover District Council) chose the name of the new park to be Fowlmead (Fowl – "bird", Mead - "meadow"). In May 2015, it was announced that the Hadlow Group had acquired Fowlmead and would be rebranding the park as Betteshanger Country Park, as part of the wider Betteshanger Sustainable Parks regeneration program.Fowlmead Country Park and Nature Reserve was initially developed under the management of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) with £18.8 million funding from English Partnerships, as part of the National Coalfields Programme(NCP). It was opened in May 2007 by Sir David Bellamy, in association with Sport England.The existing visitor centre was part-funded by SEEDA and Sport England. The surface material of the entire park (shale from the colliery) was mixed with recycled green waste and fertiliser to create a rich topsoil and 130,000 shrubs and trees were planted.