Thatched Outbuildings At Ford Hill On Roadside 10 Metres West Of House

The thatched outbuildings at Ford Hill, located 10 metres west of the house, date from the 18th century or early 19th century. They consist of a long line of single-storey buildings that back onto the road, featuring three distinct structures built in outdated construction styles.

At the western end, there is a wider stable building that has been converted into a garage, complete with double doors in the west gable end. This building has a flint and brick plinth supporting clay lump walls, which are plastered on the outside. The northern plinth is higher to retain the road at a higher level. The steep thatched roof includes a small loft door in a dormer facing the roadside. The clay lumps measure 20 inches by 7 inches, and the structure features a continuous wall plate and split pole rafters, with a two-bay roof that is half floored. The entrance is located at the eastern end.

The middle section, which adjoins the eastern part, is a narrower stable with clay lump walls resting on flint foundations, with courses that follow the slope of the hill. It has stable doors on the southern side and a steep thatched side purlin roof supported by irregularly spaced tie beams with collars above. An interesting vertical thatched partition is located over the tie beam at the eastern end of this section.

At the eastern end, there is a shorter, formerly open-fronted, narrow thatched section. Its side walls are made from a framework of slender, undressed tree trunks with natural forked tops that support similar undressed wall plates. The timbers in the northern wall are built into the flint wall for the full height, while some lath and plaster infill can be seen on the southern side. The gabled steep thatched roof is constructed on a similar rough framework.

These buildings likely date back to when the house functioned as an inn and represent significant examples of obsolete building construction. They are part of the historic group on Ford Hill within the Conservation Area.