W.H. & H. LeMay Hop Factors – Borough High Street, Southwark, London, England

The hops trade was a significant part of Southwark’s commercial past until the early 1970s. Southwark was for centuries associated with hops, breweries and coaching inns. The inns derived their existence from the fact that Borough High Street and Old London Bridge constituted the only land route into the City from the south until as late as 1750. All the road traffic from Kent, Surrey and Sussex came through Southwark. The proprietors of the inns were rich and influential, often serving as Members of Parliament for the parliamentary borough of Southwark. The best-remembered of these was Harry Bailey, landlord of the Tabard, who led Chaucer’s pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales: ‘Befel that in that season on a day / In Southwark at the Tabard, as I lay’. The mediaeval route to Canterbury led you from Borough High Street, via Kent Street, to the Old Kent Road. Kent Street was renamed Tabard Street in 1877.

I saw a wonderful building on the Borough High Street while waiting to meet my son. The building erected in the late 19th century to house the offices of W.H. & H. Le May Hop Factors is now listed under the Planning Act for its special architectural or historic interest. The facade is made of stucco, coloured to resemble old red sandstone. It has a granite plinth. The roof is obscured behind a balustraded parapet.

To quote from the official document: "3 storeys, single bay but with triple window at 1st floor. Rusticated ground floor and pilasters at angles of upper storeys. Cornices at each storey. Ground-floor rustication forms voussoirs to round-arched entrance with dropped keystone bearing number 67. Pair of inner part-glazed doors. Frieze inscribed WH & H LeMay Hop Factors, embellished with hops. First floor triple round-arched sash windows with modified Ionic pilaster jambs. 2nd storey: large relief sculpture of hop gatherers in classical costumes with name WH & H LeMay Hop Factors. To right at ground floor, square-headed entrance with single corbel."

The terracotta relief shows a man and woman harvesting hops. They represent a tradition in 19th and early 20th century England when whole families, including small children, from east and south-east London would immigrate to Kent to work in the annual hops harvest. They would travel on Hop Pickers Specials, trains put on to take pickers at the beginning of the season; they would live in temporary hoppers’ huts while working. I have actually talked with people who remember going down to Kent for the hops harvest. The final chapters of W. Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage and a large part of George Orwell’s A Clergyman’s Daughter contain vivid descriptions of London families participating in this annual hops harvest.

Apparently, the building's interior has heavy staircase with square, moulded newel; moulded balusters. The upper storeys are linked by iron spiral staircase leading to top lit upper floor.I only wish that I had been able to see the interior of this amazing building.