TQ5063 : Cockerhurst Oasts, Redmans Lane, Shoreham, Kent
taken 14 years ago, near to Well Hill, Kent, England
Twin round kiln oast house. The building was seen in an episode of BBC Eastenders (shown 9th April 2007 Link ), in a scene where Jim and Dot Branning visit the hop-picking fields in Kent.
An Oast House is a building used to dry fresh hops before they are sent to the brewers, to be used for flavouring beer. A traditional Oast House consists of the 'oast' and the 'stowage'. The oast was a kiln, with a plenum chamber fired by charcoal at ground floor and the drying floor directly above. The steep pitched roof channelled the hot air through the hops to the top. The stowage, was the barn section, it had a cooling floor and press at first floor and storage area at ground floor. Read more Link