(Oast Houses were used to dry the hops)

Description :-

An Oast House is usually a circular brick building with a white cowl on top, hundreds of which can be seen in the Wealden area.

Details :-

During the 1800's the railway lines built across the area brought the possibility of selling hops to the large town based brewers. The hops originally grown for local brewers, were now needed further afield and in larger quantities. This brought with it two problems, the first of transporting the hops, solved by the railways. The second problem of storage of the hops at the breweries was alleviated by drying the hops so they didn't rot during the winter months. To alleviate this latter problem hundreds of oast houses were built in the Kent and Sussex Border region to process the hops.

Use :-

The Oast Houses of the Weald were used as drying houses for the hops grown in abundance in this area. The hops were spread on wooden floors, which had fires below providing heat, and the hot air and steam produced escaped through the cowl on top of the oast . The process of drying was left to very skilled men who stayed in the oast houses until the harvest was complete.

East Peckham	(Centre of the Hop Industry)
Goudhurst	(Smugglers, Iron and Forests)
Horsmonden	(The largest Wealden Iron Works)
Marden	(Broadcloth and Agriculture)
Paddock Wood	(Railway brings prosperity)
Rushlake Green	(Open Village and Nuclear Bunker)
Sellindge	(Oliver Cromwells Horse)