Hill House

Hill House is a small farmhouse, likely dating from the late 17th century, with significant remodelling and extensions in the 19th century. It is constructed of rendered stone rubble and cob, with a thatched roof that is half-hipped at the left end and gabled at the right end. A large axial brick stack with oversailing brick courses is a prominent feature, along with a smaller brick stack to the gable end of a short, single-storey thatched rear wing. The house has an unusual lobby entry plan, originally comprising two rooms heated by a massive central stack. A staircase is situated beside the rear of the stack in the left-hand room. A short, single-storey rear wing, likely added in the 19th century as a kitchen, now serves as a rear entrance passage. A dairy outshut to the rear right side dates probably from the early 20th century. The limited survival of 17th-century features suggests a thorough 19th-century remodelling, potentially including alterations to the plan. It is possible the house was once divided into two separate dwellings, indicated by a blocked doorway on the left end providing direct access to the left-hand room, and a shallow two-storey projection on the right gable end possibly marking the position of a former staircase. The house is two storeys high, with a two-window front. The left-hand window has a half-dormer. All the windows are 20th-century replacements, including a two-light casement to the upper floor and three-light windows to the ground floor, flanking a 20th-century gabled porch. Inside, fireplaces are located on either side of the axial stack, concealed by 20th-century replacements. Some 19th-century joinery remains. One roof truss over the right-hand room displays straight principals, and similar principals span the stack. No trusses are visible in the left-hand room, and the roof space was inaccessible during the survey.