About Us
Where work doesn’t feel like work
Goblands Farm Business Centre is situated on a working farm just outside the picturesque village of Hadlow in Kent.
Surrounded by countryside, our offices feel more like home than work. Away from the rush, noise and stress, in a place naturally good for the soul.
Only two minutes from the A26 with great access by road, you can forget the hefty commute.
You can take a break or lunch in the sun. Go for a rejuvenating walk, run or cycle. Or you can simply enjoy the restful view from your office.
And there’s no catch or compromise. With ultrafast connection speeds, free parking, high spec facilities and workspaces, Goblands has everything you need to run your operations effortlessly.
“We moved our business to Goblands Farm in 2004 and it was the best thing we could have done!
A wonderful environment to work in with caring landlords who are professional in every way and have always ensured that we are taken care of.”
Errol & Dawn Brandt | Mediatek
Goblands Farm
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Get in touchWhat's in a name
Why we’re called Goblands is a popular talking point with our customers and tenants.
Our name seems to date back to the 18th century, when the land we owned was once all forest. When the land was deforested, only the tree stumps remained. Back then, these tree stumps were called ‘gobs’.
Our little corner of the world became known as Gob-land. And the name has stuck to this day!
“Many of our tenants are ex-commuters from the city or surrounding towns, so they totally embrace having a place of work that is close to home yet separate from their home life.”
Everything taken care of
We’ve been farming here as a family for four generations, but since the 90’s have broadened our focus into business units and lettings.
Our traditional Hop Kiln and surrounding farm buildings have all been converted to high-spec rural offices suiting all types of small business.
As hosts, we like to stay in regular touch with the businesses on our farm, getting to know you so that we can make sure you have everything you need to thrive.
And as you grow, so do your options, with a range of flexible workspaces, warehouses and studios to choose from.
We feel truly blessed to be the custodians of Goblands Farm, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Your hosts
Maxine and Duncan
A brief history
Green from our apples to our operations
Goblands Farm was bought in 1971 by FG Pierce and Sons Ltd, the company founded by Duncan’s grandfather Fred. Duncan’s parents, Richard and Marilyn Pierce then moved onto the site to live and work in 1982, buying additional neighbouring land to expand the business.
The original 101 acres was all hops and orchards. The Pierce family focused on the farming of hops and apples and some arable. The latter included linseed, rapeseed, wheat and barley.
One of our fields is named ‘Bean’ from the farming of runner beans, and there was an intensive operation established for strawberries, all of which were driven up to London through the old Blackwall tunnel to Covent Garden market in the early hours every day.
Original machinery can still be found in the Hop Kilns offices. The pay hut including the small pay window from which the Pickers’ would collect their weekly wages, is now a meeting room.
Hop pockets being loaded into the old Dennis lorry c. 1925 when the farm was owned by Henry Lambe. He owned it from 1920, having bought it from Sir William Geary, of Oxenhoath. Goblands was sold to Mr. Hugh Pearson of Hadlow Castle Estate in 1930.
Hanging up the hops
Richard continued to increase the production of arable crops and away from intensive strawberries. Leaving the hops behind following the demise of UK production in the mid-1980’s, the old Hop Kilns were used for the odd party, with the smell of hop pollen hanging heavy over the dance floor.
As some of the old farm buildings became less used for agriculture, so came the opportunity to introduce commercial lettings.
We are proud to say our first business tenant is still with us!
A climate positive future
As part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint we have installed 150 kW of solar PV panels which directly offset the electrical consumption of the business centre and farm. This means on a bright day from late Spring to early Autumn the site can be self-sustaining, as well as exporting green power back to the national grid. Alongside this, the majority of our offices now use heat pumps for winter heating and summer cooling alongside LED lighting, which are many times more efficient than the previous systems, providing economies for the tenants as well as a better work environment.
On the farming side, we are constantly exploring ways of improving the carbon sequestration of our farming systems as well as soil quality and biodiversity. These include planting of flower-rich meadow mixes and winter bird food plants on various plots and field margins across the farm, and actively engaging with our farming partners in trying new techniques to improve soil health.
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