Prime property guides: oast houses

What is an oast?

For visitors from overseas, or even from outside of Kent and Sussex, the distinctive circular towers with conical roofs can be quite a surprising sight.

One could almost imagine Rapunzel letting down her locks from a window at the top, but the historic truth is far more prosaic.

Oasts, or oast houses, were built not for locking up princesses, but as the farm buildings where hops were traditionally dried out and packed for our brewing industry from the 16th century onwards.

Although most people think that the oast is the tower, the word actually refers to the attached barn, where the hop press was situated, while the tower where the hops were dried should properly be called the kiln or roundel.

The roundel acted like a chimney. A charcoal-fired kiln was built at the bottom, and above were two or three thin floors where the hops were spread, through which the heat could pass, before disappearing through the white-painted cowl on the top.

Why the strange shape?

Around 90 per cent of the kilns remaining today are circular, but they were originally built as simple, square towers.

However, around 1840 it was decided that the roundel gave better heat distribution, with no cold corners, so, although they were more difficult to build, this became the norm.

But, as so often happens, ideas had moved full circle fifty years later, when it was agreed that square kilns were more efficient after all, and the square oast regained popularity.

Oasts today

Today these beautiful buildings, which usually come in groups of three, with the roundel, the barn, and a farmhouse, have been converted for uses including offices, workshops, and studios.

And, of course, they make highly desirable homes.

Rachel Scott-Mackie from Jackson-Stops & Staff in Cranbrook says that oasts are incredibly popular with their clientele.

"It's not only the history of the agricultural buildings," says Rachel. "They also provide a good amount of space and make stunning family homes."

They are so popular as homes that businesses have sprung up to help owners deal with the problem of fitting square furniture into round rooms.

Round the houses

A round room is certainly a talking point, but it can be a headache to furnish.

"The square ones are easier to live with," says Rachel. "But the round ones are more visually appealing.

"Of course, it's expensive to have, for example, a kitchen fitted to curve round a room, but when it's done it really is worth it.

"People often use the upstairs rooms in the roundels as bedrooms, but they make great bathrooms, with a bath in the centre, which looks fantastic."

The other drawback oasts may have is an issue of privacy.

Unless you're buying at the top end of the oast market, you may be looking at buying just one of the three buildings: the farmhouse, kiln, or barn.

"Most farm complexes divided into three units," says Rachel. "They still command high prices, but for some people they don't offer the glorious isolation that they would expect in the countryside."

DIY? Converting an oast

Converting an oast is generally not for the fainthearted.

Conservation surveyor and designer Julian Bluck says that it can be difficult and expensive.

"The roundels are the most tricky bit. The vast majority of them are circular, and the smaller they are, the more difficult they can be to deal with."

According to Julian the main challenges are:

• 1. No foundations. The roundels often require underpinning, which is expensive.
• 2. Timber frame. The main barn usually has a brick ground floor with timber above, and the timber frames tend to need extensive renovation.
• 3. Roofs. The majority have either lost their entire roof, or it has been ruined. The conical roof has to be re-tiled with hand-made, expensive, tapered clay tiles.
• 4. Cowls. They often don't have their cowls, which, again, need to be hand made. However, there are now companies that make GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) cowls that do bring the cost down a little.
• 5. Windows. Lax planning regulation of the 1970s and ‘80s means that properties that were converted then may have as many windows as the owner wanted, and will even have dormers in the roundels.
  
  But now it is not so easy. Although many oasts are not actually listed, they may be ‘curtilege listed' because of the nearby farmhouse.
  
  And local authorities will keep a close eye on any conversions to ensure that you retain the look of an agricultural building, which often means putting in fewer windows than you might want.
• 6. Extensions. Think twice about buying an oast that is too small for your requirements. There is, says Julian, a very real risk of not being given planning permission to extend beyond the original footprint of the building.

How saleable are they?

Caroline Imrie from Winkworth's Tunbridge Wells branch says that oasts will always be popular because they offer the ideal of country living, with a unique twist.

"They can be incredibly pretty and are potentially more saleable than an ordinary farmhouse.

"And we occasionally come across double and triple oasts which will cause a lot of interest. Basically there's a novelty factor that can carry a premium.

"But, although people love them, at the end of the day the price will depend on the size and condition of the accommodation that a house offers."

Julian Bluck, specialist surveyor and designer, tel. 01825 873553