Snowdown Working Men's Club - Nr. Aylesham - August 2012

[urbex13]

A brief history

I stumbled across this site following a fairly disappointing (access-wise) visit to the nearby colliery and thought it would be worth documenting it as I haven't seen a report on it on this site before.

The Snowdown Working Men's Institute was founded for the workers of the nearby colliery, the deepest in the Kent Coalfield and infamous for having some of the worst working conditions of any mine in Britain. The first record I have found of the Institute dates from 1926 and refers to the accounts from the previous year, although it is likely the institute itself was founded shortly after the colliery was opened. The club closed in mid 2009, presumably due to lower custom and rising costs, the second of three working men's clubs in Aylesham to have closed in the past three years. The site has now been sold to developers.

The Pictures​

1. A fairly plain and blocky construction, a short walk from Aylesham but almost adjacent to the colliery itself:

2. The remains of what I can only assume was a nursery or daycare centre given the amount of toys dotted around a few rooms:

3. Two full sized Riley Snooker tables left to go in the skip:

4. The smaller of the two bars:

5. And its counterpart on the right:

6. The stage, complete with wall-paintings and a speaker that had seen better days

I know this isn't anything special but better recorded than not!

Thirteen.​

 

[TranKmasT]

I like this. To me the post processing suggests the place is much older than it is.
Great pictures and atmosphere.

 

[LairdOfLochaber]

Crikey! I bet it wasn't working men who chavved the place.

 

[abel101]

liking this alot! loving the empty pool/snooker tables! the atmosphere inside seems very "forgotten"

 

[flyboys90]

What a waste of snookertables! great pics.

 

[urbex13]

Cheers guys, being in Aylesham it hasn't lasted too long, it's quite a big place with absolutely nothing to do, remnant of the nearby mine I suppose.

 

[Wakey Lad]

I love places like this, refuge for the working class. Very sad to see them closing down at such a rate these days - Well done that man!

 

[shane.c]

Good pics thanks for posting,

 

[urbex13]

Cheers guys, as I said this is one of three in as many years in Aylesham, the busiest of which had 1000 customers a week at its busiest. I'm from a Welsh coal-mining family and grew up with stories of the institute in Blaenavon which is what has made me so interested in the Kent coalfield. Interestingly there were bids on the mineral rights of five sites in Kent at the end of last year with the stated intention to open deep mines. I know it's all a very contentious issue but when you see places like Aylesham you realise quite how much communities centered on these pits!

 

[wolfism]

Great set of photos … looks like you captured the atmosphere. Is there much left of the colliery itself?

 

[urbex13]

Some, there are reports on the web, it's all very stripped (Closed 88/89 I think). It would be a possible explore, I just had the girlfriend with me which put it a bit out of reach in terms of some of the funkier methods of access

 

[Alien]

You say this is nothing special, but it is to me. My dad was steward there in the 70's and we lived there.
I have searched for images of the place before, but only ever seen pics of the front of the building... until now!
It's the first time i've seen inside this place for 47 years, and it all came flooding back.
So thank you very much for documenting this old place, just goes to show some explores are more important than you think.
By the way, I used to play on them snooker tables sunday afternoons after the club closed at 2pm. and that back room full of toys and stuff, when it was residential was actually my bedroom!
Cheers, all the best.