Hop pickers use stilts on a farm

In this captivating 1928 image taken in Wateringbury, Kent, two hop pickers balance expertly on tall wooden stilts as they work among the towering rows of hops. One passes a small tool or container to the other with calm precision, high above the dirt path that winds through the farm. Stilts like these were commonly used during the hop-picking season to reach the upper parts of the climbing plants without damaging the fragile vines.

This photo is a powerful glimpse into the ingenuity and agility of rural English farm workers in the early 20th century. Hop growing was a major agricultural activity in Kent, known as “the garden of England,” and families from cities would often migrate seasonally to help with the harvest.

🟢 Rediscover these moments of agricultural life at OldPik.com, where old photographs preserve the ingenuity and rhythm of a world that’s fading — but not forgotten.

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