Hillhouse Farmhouse

THORPE-LE-SOKEN HILLHOUSE LANE TM 12 SE 5/97 Hillhouse Farmhouse - II

House. Mid-C16, altered in late C16 and C19. Timber framed, clad with red brick in Flemish bond, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. 4 bays facing NE, comprising a 2-bay 'hall' with a late C16 stack in the rear part of the left bay, a parlour/solar bay to the left, and a service bay to the right with an external stack at the end. Small single-storey lean-to extension at the left end. C19 parallel range of red brick in Flemish bond, to the rear of the 3 right bays. 2 storeys. NE elevation, 4-window range of C20 casements. The NW elevation has on the ground floor one early C19 sash of 16 lights, and other C19/20 windows, and an early C19 6-panel door, the top 2 panels glazed, with a plain overlight. Gablet hip at left end of roof. Dogtooth eaves course. Original sprockets to rear of left bay. Grouped diagonal shafts. Jowled posts, close studding. In partition at right end of 'hall', twin service doorways with Tudor heads, and a gap for a doorway to the former stair; this binding beam is chamfered with broach stops. The binding beam in the middle of the 'hall' has been scarfed at the front end, and secured with forelock bolts, possibly indicating the position of the original stack. 2 chamfered longitudinal beams with late step stops, plain joists of horizontal section. Blocked unglazed window to rear of 'hall' with 4 diamond mortices and shutter groove. On the first floor at the left end, 3 diamond mortices and shutter groove for former unglazed window. The solar bay has been ceiled c.1600 with 2 ovolo-moulded longitudinal beams, meeting similarly moulded timbers in the hip. Crownpost roof with axial bracing, not sooted. Some original wattle and daub infill in the roof. This house was built in 2 storeys from the outset, but retaining the typical 3-part medieval plan.

Listing NGR: TM1558323345