Inset kilns and oasts

The first of the oast and hop kiln types summarised in Chapter 5 is explored in this chapter. The advice of writers in the 17th and 18th centuries on how to build kilns is described, followed by an account of surviving inset kilns from the three hop regions. Early inset hop kilns were built inside sheds or barns which often had no upper storey. A drying floor was raised above a fireplace on freestanding walls, or against the side walls of the building. A stepladder gave access to the drying floor. Once kilns were constructed inside buildings with an upper