An oast is a tall, round or square building with a pointed roof and a vent on top, originally built to dry hops for brewing beer.
People still talk about oasts when they spot the old cone-roofed towers dotting the English countryside. Locals point them out on walks (“That red-brick oast used to serve the brewery”), estate agents mention them as converted homes (“three-bed oast with original cowls”), and craft-beer fans visit working oasts during hop-picking season to see how the drying floors work.
Meaning & Usage Examples
“Oast” can mean either the entire hop-drying building or just the kiln section inside.
Example: “We toured the oast and climbed the ladder to the drying room.”
Context / Common Use
Most oasts today are converted into houses, holiday rentals, or museums. You’ll hear the word mainly in Kent and Sussex, where hop farming once thrived.
Is an oast the same as a kiln?
Almost. The oast is the whole building; the kiln is the heated chamber inside it.
Can you stay in an oast?
Yes. Many have been turned into cozy Airbnb cottages with the original cowls still on the roof.
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