Hill Top Cottages Thatched Cottage

LONGDON C.P. HILL TOP SK 01 SE 10/88 Hill Top Cottages and Thatched Cottage [formerly listed as 27.2.64 Hill Top Cottages (3 Tenements)] GV II*

House, now divided into 3 cottages. C13/C14 with later alterations and additions. Timber framed with brick infill panels replacing wattle and daub and some brick rebuilding; hipped thatch roof with scalloped ridge; brick ridge stack. 3-bay aisled hall aligned east-west facing south, containing a roughly central cross-passage, a single-bay hall to the west and an eastern service bay. 2-bay south projecting western cross-wing comprising the chamber block; the south bay of the cross- wing has been extended to the west, probably in the C19. Projecting 2-storey crosswing to the left and former single-storey hall range to the right with inserted attic floor. Roughly 2:5 window front; mainly C19 casements. The thatched roof sweeps over 2 attic windows to the left hand side of the hall range. C19 boarded door to left hand end of hall range. Some exposed framing to the left hand end of the hall range showing that the wall framing consisted of 2 tiers of large rectangular panels. This is more evident to the rear. Exposed aisle truss at the east end of the house with arch braces extending from jowelled aisle posts to a middle rail; aisle tie to the right connecting with a wall post. Interior. 2 more aisle trusses defining a cross-passage; arch braces extend from the aisle posts to the tie beams of the transverse trusses and to the arcade plates, those over the cross passage nearly meet to form an archway. Smoke blackened collar-rafter roof without longitudinal stiffening. Exposed timber framing. Thatched Cottage and Hill Top Cottages is the better preserved of only two fully-aisled halls known in Staffordshire at the time of the resurvey (November 1986).

Listing NGR: SK0896214098