Hopping back to Essex

Markshall has been secretly growing something rather special this year. Hops!
For the first time in over a century, hops are being farmed in Essex. Ian Chandler, Head of the Arboretum has been meticulously recreating what was once lost.

Up until the mid-19th century Essex was highly regarded for producing hops. The Colne region was a hotbed of hop production, until a perfect storm of several years of bad weather coincided with the launch of Hop Express trains. This service took workers from Essex to Kent for a fare of just 1 penny, forcing Essex farmers to stop producing hops in 1887.

Markshall has been researching its agricultural past and located an antique book published in 1807, which contained references to hops being grown in Essex. Further research uncovered old maps at the Essex Record Office, that confirmed hop plantations were at Markshall in the 1700s. This inspired the team to bring back hop farming to the area, partnering with The Mighty Oak Brewery of Maldon to produce the first Ales using Essex-farmed hops for over a century.

Gill Crawford, Director of The Mighty Oak Brewing Company said: “To have Essex grown hops in the brewhouse is a real buzz for all of us. Mighty Oak Brewery is built on doing things the right way – by hand and with care – so working with Markshall to revive a bit of our county’s hop growing past completely fits our ethos. These hops have been grown, picked and handled by genuinely skilled and passionate people, and brewing the first Essex hopped ales in over a century is something we’re genuinely proud to do. There’s something special about knowing these hops carry a bit of Essex history in every cone.”

Markshall have used information from antique books to recreate the historic methods and techniques of old, ensuring the hops produced are as authentic as possible. This includes being hand harvested with the help of volunteers and The Mighty Oak Brewery.

The team has been carefully schooled by Stephen Wright from The Hop Plant Company, who has been keeping a careful eye on the Boadicea and First Gold hops and the team’s progress.

Stephen said “We were contacted by Markshall in early 2026 who informed us of the history of Markshall and their desire to re-establish hop growing in the area. Following consultation with the British Hops Association and the Mighty Oak Brewing Co., we decided that First Gold and Boadicea were the two most suitable varieties for the area. The Markshall team have done a fantastic job of establishing a quality hop garden and taking on our advice. It’s fantastic to see such enthusiasm in the hop industry. We are delighted to be a part of this new venture and look forward to sampling the fruits of their labour”.

Once harvested and dried, the hops will be handed over to The Mighty Oak’s master brewers, who will be producing Golden and Amber Ales. They are expected to be available from early- to mid-October.

Markshall’s CEO Dave Finkle said: “It is incredibly exciting to have formed this partnership. Nobody alive today knows what traditionally farmed Essex hops taste like. The Charity is diversifying by turning back time and reconnecting with the landscape’s heritage”.