Relive the hopping experience at the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Hop Festival Weekend
On 10 and 11 September 2016, visitors to Bodiam Station can enjoy a whole weekend of hopping nostalgia at the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s annual Hop Festival Weekend.
There will be frequent train departures on Saturday and Sunday between Tenterden and Bodiam stations and plenty of entertainment for everyone throughout the weekend.
The Kent & East Sussex Railway played an essential role in bringing about 4000 hop pickers to Bodiam each summer on specially timetabled trains from London. The pickers were mainly women, their children and elderly relatives and hop picking often became an annual holiday for families who would stay for several weeks enjoying the fresh countryside air.
Bodiam was at the heart of the Rother Valley hop industry and Guinness hop farms, centred on Bodiam, were the largest in the country covering 1400 acres with 850 acres under hops. The last hops were picked in 1970 and only because it became cheaper to buy hops on the world market than grow them on their own farms.
Over the weekend former hop pickers re-live memories whilst visitors experience the hop picking way of life first hand in the recreated hop garden and hopper’s hut where typically pickers would have stayed, sometimes for as long as six weeks. These huts were often given a “homely” feel with wallpaper and pictures added to brighten them up.
Visitors will have the opportunity to try their hand at the testing skill of hop stripping, something which was either very easy or very difficult depending on the weather and the state of the bine.
There will also be memorabilia on display at the station together with heritage vehicles and traction engines.
Live entertainment from ‘The Sideboard Men’ and Morris Dancing will add to the nostalgic atmosphere which often sees hop pickers and visitors singing around the camp fire.
Delicious food and local speciality sausages can be purchased from the BBQ and a variety of beverages including fine local ales will be available from the beer tent. The hoppers’ kitchen will be serving refreshments and homemade cake.
On Saturday, the Old Dairy Brewery will be offering half price tours of their brewery at Tenterden Station (advance booking required).
An evening Hop Festival Real Ale Train will featuring some of the finest local real ales and departs from Tenterden at 7.00pm on Saturday 10th September only (advance booking is essential)
The event is open from 10.30am to 6pm each day. Tickets including return train travel to Bodiam are – Adult £17, Child (3 – 15 years inc.) £11.50 and Family (2 adults + up to 3 children or 1 adult and up to 4 children) £38.
Advance tickets can be obtained online or by telephoning 01580 765155. Online bookings will benefit from a 10% discount when booked at least a day in advance.
Please see the website for train times and further details www.kesr.org.uk
Tenterden and Northiam stations have free parking and visitors are advised to park and ride from these stations. Bodiam station has no public parking; however, visitors wishing to start their journey there can park all day at the castle for £3. The Castle’s post code is: TN32 5UA. Bodiam Station is a short walk from the Castle.
Press enquiries to Caroline Edmunds on 01892 616647 or caroline@penningtonpr.com
