TQ7936 : Oast House at Godwin House, Tenterden Road, Golford, Cranbrook, Kent
taken 18 years ago, near to Sissinghurst, Kent, England
Thought to be built around 1740, this is most likely the oldest oast house in existence. Sissinghurst and neighbouring Benenden and Cranbrook have most of the oldest oast houses built from the mid 1700s. They are distinguished by the cowl placed on the ridge of the roof, initial oast houses being merely modified barns. Similar examples of can be seen at TQ79793646, TQ79513744, TQ79223575, TQ81843442, TQ85203901 and further afield in Paddock Wood TQ68544396.
Grade II listed.
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