I do not have to attend many meetings in person these days. In my books this is a positive legacy of the Covid days. Once a month though an in person team meeting is arranged. I enjoy these catch ups. This month we met in Folkstone down on the south east coast of Kent. It’s about 50 miles from where I live in Medway. Given the time of year and the nice weather we’re been having I took it as an opportunity to get some miles in on my bike. I planned a route that was mostly along the country lanes through the Kent Downs. Very nice too.
On the ride back I passed by some traditional hop vines near a small village called Selling.
Hops used to be a big deal in Kent. Back in the day Kent was a big producer of hops in the UK. My parents recall spending weeks over the summer months with their parents, relatives and friends picking hops along with scores more down from London and Essex.
As porter and beer lost favour to lager the need for hops steadily declined. Along with the introduction of hedgerow hops that only grow to 8 feet and are better suited to mechanised picking machines than the ‘traditional’ 20 foot hop gardens, the end of “Hopping down in Kent” slowly came to pass.
There is mild resurgence in the cultivation hops with craft beers and the like but nothing to match the scale of what used to be.
I’m guessing that traditional hop gardens like this are few and far between these days. Good to see though if only as a nod to heritage.
