Hill Top House

Hill Top House is a limestone rubble house with a graduated stone slate roof, dated 1670 with alterations from the 18th and early 19th centuries. It comprises a two-storey, four-bay range facing south with a taller two-bay rear wing facing east.

The main range features quoins and a half-glazed door between bays one and two with tristone jambs, slightly chamfered, and a moulded cornice. Bay three contains a blocked doorway with chamfered quoins to the right jamb and a large lintel with a segmental arch; the left jamb and part of the lintel were removed when a window of three stepped lights with flat-faced mullions was inserted. The remaining windows to bays one and four and throughout the first floor are lugged sashes with glazing bars. On the ground floor right is the right jamb and part of the sill and lintel of a destroyed recessed chamfered window. The eaves have been raised at first-floor window lintel level. Flat kneelers, gable coping and corniced end stacks are present, with a further ridge stack above the blocked doorway.

The left return of the main range has a square recessed chamfered window with four panes to the ground floor and a small round-headed window above. The right return has two ground-floor and one first-floor sash window as front.

The rear wing east side features a board door right in a chamfered surround with solid jambs and a reset lintel with triangular arch and two recessed panels with raised lettering "LDL" and "1670", with a moulded cornice over. A large two-light recessed chamfered window with hood mould is positioned to the left at first floor; a narrow hollow chamfered window is far left, with a straight chamfer above.

The rear wing west side has an added dairy outshut to the right with a two-light mullion window to the ground floor and a small square window above, both with recessed chamfers. The left bay contains a four-light recessed window with hood mould, one mullion replaced in wood, and a four, now two-light window above, both recessed chamfered. Moulded kneeler and gable copings and a tall moulded corniced stack appear to the left. The rear wing north gable has an added outshut obscuring the ground floor; two narrow lights to the first floor are positioned left (rectangular) and right (round-headed).

Internally, the main range has direct entry to the central room with a large fireplace to the right, which features a late 18th-century stone surround with the lintel supported by moulded corbels. The cross-beam has stepped run-out stops. The ground floor right room contains a fine small 17th-century fireplace with chamfered surround and triangular arched head. The inner room to the right is only half a bay in length.

The rear wing interior comprises entry from the dated doorway into a large kitchen with a fine segmental-arched fireplace with keystone and voussoirs. Stairs were inserted between the wing and main range. The added dairy has a cellar beneath, as does the rear wing.

Both ranges are 17th century in origin. The main range originally featured a lobby entry onto the side of a large fireplace, which was rebuilt around 1800. The inner heated parlour and narrow storage bay represent good examples of an early 17th-century plan. The present entrance door and fireplace likely date to a complete reordering and refenestration; a newspaper dated 1805 was found in the under-ceiling of the living room during recent restoration.

The rear wing was probably built as a kitchen wing, with the large fireplace contemporary with the 1670 dated lintel. A newel stair probably originally occupied the corner lit by the single-light window. The cellar and dairy were likely added during the extensive reordering around 1800. It is probable that the main range was the original house on the site, the rear wing added in 1670 to increase cooking and storage area, and the whole house altered (including rendering to the main facade, removed during restoration around 1980) in the early 19th century.