insideKENT Magazine Issue 36 - March 2015 | Page 158

PROPERTY Oast Houses Photos © Kent Life kentlife.org.uk When we all go hopping, hopping down in Kent… Hopping was a major part of many people’s (mainly Londoners) summer holidays in loving memory, back in the early to mid-part of the 20th century. Thousands of children and adults made the annual pilgrimage to the Garden of England – a far cry from the smoky streets and built up areas of the capital. Collecting the hops for the growers and producers was an important – some would say essential – job, and something that many still recall with fondness. Hop picking holidays were already on the decline by then, though, having been at their height in the Victorian period, before any kind of automation was brought in. Everything was picked by hand, and the hops were left to dry in special, purposebuilt buildings called oast houses. The typical oast house we think of today, so prevalent in Kent (particularly the Wealden villages), was developed during this particularly busy time of hop growing, but they have been around since the 16th century. At that point they were simple, single storey buildings, and the hops were just laid on the stone floor to dry. As time went on, and demand increased, hop growers realised that the drying process had to be hastened along somehow. The problem of slow-drying hops was solved by making the oast houses into two storeys, and placing the hops on the upper floor, with an open charcoal or anthracite fire burning on the lower one. The roof was then vented – gaps were left in between the roof tiles – and a cowl placed on the top which, thanks to the power of wind, created a vacuum to pull the hot air up and over the hops, so they dried much quicker than ever before. But experimentation and new ideas never stopped, especially when it came to Kent’s most famous product. Soon enough it was discovered that hot air circulated better in a round space, so the original square oasts were replaced with the most familiar circular ones. Unfortunately, building materials and tools of the time meant that building round oasts was costly and time consuming, and eventually the trend reverted back to rectangular ones, with a fan to push the air around. By the 20th century, the fans were replaced with enclosed pipes that pumped the hot air straight into the hop drying room. Oast Houses You Can Visit Oast houses were built to last, and there are many that can still be seen dotted around the Kent countryside. Some are private residences, some are still used as stores or farm buildings, and some have been turned into museums. If you want to visit an oast house, then why not pop along to the Museum of Kent Life in Sandling near Maidstone? Here you can find out all about how and why oast houses were used, and get an up close and personal view of the inside of one. The oast house at Kent Life is the last remaining traditionally fired example in Kent, so is well worth a look. Oast Houses for Sale If you want to do more than look at and learn about oast houses, have you considered living in one? There are a number for sale across Kent, including: • 4 bedroom house in Biddenden. This property includes an inglenook fireplace, 10 acres of land, a pool, stabling, detached studio, and of course the oast itself with a square kiln. Offers in the region on £1.2 million For more details, contact Country Property Goudhurst on 01580 471022, or visit www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49677911.html • 3 bedroom house in Mereworth. This