S.A.K.A

Oast houses were built on many farms, particularly in Kent and East Sussex, as freestanding kilns for the drying of hops, a process that had to be completed on the day of picking. Changes in British beer-drinking tastes, industrialisation and imports have rendered them redundant and many have since been converted into very desirable dwellings. For detailed information, go to www.hoppingdowninkent.org.uk

Photograph of Bentham Oast by Albert Dungate.