These photos are of the hop plant scrambling up the hedge as you turn right at the end of Eastrip Lane. The common name 'hop' is from an early Anglo-saxon word meaning to climb.
Hop pollen in England dates back to the Neolithic era - a true native but now difficult to distinguish from European cultivars introduced in the 16th century when hops began their takeover as our brewing agent of choice. The arrival of hops for brewing also brought the German origin name “Beer”. Our national drink was Ale, made from malt flavoured and clarified with various herbs such as ground Ivy and mugwort. British Hops History
The new and more bitter hop beer was far from an instant hit. Parliament described the Hop as 'a wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people’ and Henry VIII forbade its use. The writer John Evelyn, (1670), bemoaned ‘transmuting our wholesome ale into beer’ with hops which ‘preserves the drink indeed, but repays the pleasure in tormenting diseases and a shorter life’ Over time the economic argument, as ever won the day. Beer brewed with hops was far less likely to spoil, something long known to European brewers. By the nineteenth century the agricultural production of hops, especially in Kent and the Midlands required a huge influx of seasonal workers until mechanisation arrived in the 1950s. The cultural history of these hop picking times is fascinating with whole families decanting from London for the Summer. See Hop-picking holidays
Hops have separate male and female plants. The female ones produce the lovely flower cones with papery bracts concealing lupulin glands. These contain the all important hop acids and essential oils. Male flowers, which I have never seen have clusters of tiny flowers. Commercial hop growers take great care to remove any male plants to avoid wind pollination (cone flowers with seeds are lower quality for brewing).
The Romans grew hops as a garden plant, eating the young shoots. Medicinal use long predated its brewing career, especially from oestrogen-like and sedative effects. A pillow stuffed with hop flowers is said to have cured King George 111’s insomnia and popularised this as an aid to sleep.
Hops are a mega star for insects. 50 species, many of them moths, are listed as using it as a food plant. Here are some of them. Durham moths using hop plants I do love moth names.
So let’s raise a glass to the hop - we owe you!