HOP PICKING TOURS
THINGS TO DO
We are a real working farm. This means the farm is active throughout the year. Summer is a hive of activity, a time to reap the rewards, whilst the hard yards of crop husbandry and livestock management is carried out through the long winter months. Whatever the season there is always something going on on our farm.
Beyond the day to day farm goings on, we are extremely fortunate to lie within a stunningly beautiful part of the country in the High Weald AONB. And so in addition to the cafe and summer PYO fruits we have a variety of other attractions to include farm trails, an impressive hedge maze, farm animals and festive seasonal crops - both pumpkins and homegrown Christmas trees.
HOP PICKING TOURS
From a once thriving industry rich in heritage and synonymous with Kent and Sussex, the English hop industry has since declined to a level where there are as few as 50 growers across the country.
Hops have been grown at Tibbs Farm for hundreds of years whilst our family have been growing hops through continuity of 10 generations. The harvest of this iconic beer flavouring flower takes place from the end of August through to mid September.
We invite you to tour the hop gardens, picking machine and Oast house as we guide you through the process of separating the hop from the plant on it's journey from garden to glass.
When: 2nd and 3rd September with further dates to follow.
Numbers: Tours will be limited to 20 people at a time.
Where: Start and finish at Tibbs Café.
Transport: Tours are conducted by tractor and trailer with the chance to alight and tour the picking machine and drying kilns (oast house) on foot.
What's Included:
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A 1.30h tour conducted by tractor and trailer through the gardens, picking machine and drying kiln.
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Complimentary tea and coffee on arrival.
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A traditional English hopped beer to finish.
To book: email tibbsfarmrye@gmail.com
THE
MAZE
Our maze has been 6 years in the making, comprises over 3000 Beech trees and 1,500m of winding, forking paths. Beech trees retain their leaves over winter so, weather dependent, the maze will be open all year round!
Can you conquer it?
PIG
WATCHING
Through the summer and Autumn months our outdoor pigs root and wallow in their woodland den. Visitors, especially those with pig food, are always very gratefully received.
PUMPKINs
Our homegrown pumpkins are available for sale throughout October. We grow several varieties big and small, perfect for carving, or even better eaten, as well as an assortment of ugly and strange looking gourds of all shapes, sizes and colours.
PYO pumpkins from 2022
FARM TRAILS
Winter sees the majority of our sheep move off the farm to fresh pastures, or to winter keep as it's known. During this time our farm trails are open and free for our cafe customers to explore.
The farm straddles two impressive valleys. The smaller more mystical Tillingham Valley provides a diverse patchwork of mixed farming enterprises of hop gardens, traditional standard fruit orchards, marshland grazing and arable operations. Whilst the larger Brede Valley has far reaching views through Sussex and into Kent with sea views to the south. The ancient citadel of Winchelsea is perfectly framed against the backdrop of the famous Romney Marshes with the alluring charm of the desolate landscape of Dungeness just visible in the far distance.
(Please note these are permissive paths only and are closed during Summer)
