822 AD The first reference to hops in England is on a document by Abbot Adalhard of Corvey releasing millers from their duty of grinding hops and malt. However, hops did not come into general use in brewing until the end of the 15th Century when brewing techniques found their way to Britain from Flanders.

1350 AD King Edward III brings Flemish settlers to England. They prefer hopped "beer" to the traditional English ale, which was made without hops at that time.

1520 AD Weavers of Flanders settled in Kent bringing with them new varieties of hops and the knowledge of how to use them in beer.

1574 AD Reynolde Scott, the father of English hops, wrote the first definitive work on the English hop industry in which he described every stage in the cultivation of hops.

1665 AD Hops were being grown in 14 counties in England with a hop market being established in London.

1710 AD The Hop Origin Act was passed which required the "pockets" in which the hops were packed to be stencilled with the hop grower's name, the year and where grown. At this time a greater emphasis was being placed on individual hop varieties and the "English Golding" hop was developed.

1799 AD Wigan Richardson established.

1870 AD The area of hops under cultivation was almost 72,000 acres (29,000 hectares) with a host of new varieties being developed.

1875 AD The Fuggle hop introduced as a Commercial variety by Richard Fuggle.

1932 AD Hops Marketing Board established to exercise statutory control and ensure a sheltered, if unrealistic, market for producers.

1968 AD Hop processing arm of WRI formed, now known as Wigan Products Ltd.

1982 AD EEC rules led to the disbanding of the Hops Marketing Board in favour of the introduction of independent Producer Groups.

1996 AD A total of 7,707 acres (3,1 19 hectares) of hops are grown by 200 farmers spread across Hereford, Worcester, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the South East.