Young artists bring Bettisfield Colliery’s history and future to life

Local schoolchildren have helped bring the story of Bettisfield Colliery to life through a unique art and history project, creating a series of colourful murals that celebrate the site's industrial past, its natural environment and its exciting future as a community hub.

The project brought together pupils from Glan Aber Primary School and Merllyn Primary School as part of the wider vision to transform the historic Bettisfield Colliery Winding House into an Industrial Heritage Centre and Community Hub.

Bettisfield Colliery holds an important place in both local and national industrial heritage. While the wider project aims to recognise and celebrate the site's history as a coal mine, it also looks firmly towards the future, creating a welcoming community space where new memories and stories can be made.

The children's artwork will form part of that story for generations to come.

The two schools were invited to create eight murals – four from each school – which will be displayed in the Garden, located opposite the main entrance to the historic Winding House.

Six of the murals explore the history and industrial heritage of the colliery. Drawing inspiration from the harsh realities of mining life, these artworks are displayed on black posts, reflecting the difficult conditions experienced by the miners who once worked at the site.

The remaining two murals look at Bettisfield Colliery as it is today, celebrating the work of Flintshire County Council's Countryside and Coast and Coastal Ranger teams in helping to protect and enhance the site's natural environment. The artwork also highlights important conservation work, including the Natterjack Toad project.

These murals are displayed on green posts, symbolising the natural environment and the future of Bettisfield as a place where heritage, nature and community can come together.

As part of the project, pupils were encouraged to research the history of Bettisfield Colliery and develop their own ideas and designs for the murals. This included a visit to the site, where they explored the area and learned more about its history and its importance to the local community, accompanied by project staff and a Flintshire County Council Ranger for the site.

One of the most unexpected and inspiring outcomes of the project was the name chosen by the children themselves: 'From Coal to Community'.

The phrase perfectly captures the journey of Bettisfield Colliery – from its industrial past, through its present-day natural environment, towards a future as a community-focused heritage destination. The title has made such an impression that it is now being considered as the identity and logo for the wider redevelopment project.

The project has also created something that will become part of Bettisfield's history in its own right. The children's participation and their artwork will be embedded into the story of the site and form part of its permanent exhibition.

In years to come, it is hoped that today's young artists will return to Bettisfield with their own children or grandchildren, point to the murals and proudly say: "When I was your age, I painted that."

For those involved in the project, the finished artwork has exceeded expectations.

Having known the colliery throughout their life, the project team hoped the children would bring a fresh, individual perspective and show the site through a different lens. The resulting murals have done exactly that – and much more.

Phill De Prez explains more about the project:

“Together, the eight individual pieces create a powerful and atmospheric collection. The artwork is not only brought to life through the images themselves, but also through the use of colour and the way each mural connects with the others. Although each piece tells its own story, they work together as a single, striking representation of Bettisfield's past, present and future.”

Councillor Chris Dolphin, Cabinet member for Environment, Regeneration, Countryside and Tourism said:

“The finished murals demonstrate the creativity, thought and hard work of the pupils and everyone involved in bringing the project together. Well done to all involved.”

The Bettisfield Colliery project is a lasting reminder that heritage is not only about preserving the past, but also about giving future generations the opportunity to shape the stories and places that will become part of their own history.

Bagillt foreshore, where the colliery resides, is a wildlife haven from an industrial past and one of the main hubs across Flintshire Coast Park. Visitors are encouraged to take time to explore the fabulous views and thriving wildlife at this location.