Features

Robin Walton is an author of several books about the hop industry in Kent and has been involved with the Museum of Kent life since 1984 where he grows hops for display.

We met him at Garden Organic in Yalding where he told us about the history of hops in the county.

It wasn't until 1550, in the reign of Elizabeth I, that farmers were permitted to grow hops. They had been banned for several reasons, not least of which was its relation to the cannabis plant!

Hops being grown at Garden Organic.

The first hops were brought over by Flemish traders, and the industry grew to a peak in 1878 when there were 70,000 acres of hop cultivation in the whole country, with around 60 percent being grown in Kent.

The demise of the industry was accelerated when the Californians began to produce their crops far more cheaply, and today there are just over 50 hop growers in the whole of the UK.

The early 20th century saw many thousands of hop pickers visiting Kent in the late summer to work on the harvest. This was seen as a summer holiday for many east Londoners, who were joined by other migrant workers, including the Romany Gypsies.

By the mid 1980s only two farms in Kent were still hand picking hops.

Clare Lanes, garden manager at Garden Organic.

Clare Lanes is the garden manager at Garden Organic, where they still grow hops in the traditional way. The site is divided up  18 themed gardens which show the history of agriculture in Kent.

As the name suggests, everything in the garden is grown organically and the staff are always willing to give advice on growing produce and flowers without resorting to pesticides.

The gardens at Garden Organic, Yalding

Every year Garden Organic hold a Hop Festival and this year, on the 16th September, Robin will be giving a talk on the history of hop growing in Kent. The event also includes music, an orchard tour, apple tasting and children's activities.