Conservation Areas in Harborough district - Tilton on the Hill Conservation Area

Tilton is situated in upland countryside. From a distance only the needle spire of its church on top of its hill is seen, the rest of the village being hidden by trees. The church is at the highest point and the rest of the village falls down the hill to the south. The Conservation Area includes the area around the church and the old core of the Main Street falling southwards. It excludes the B6047 Leicester to Melton road which now bypasses the village with its associated ribbon development and later infill. It does however incorporate the large meadow of Manor Farm bounded by ash trees with its fish pond and willow trees as this was integral to Manor Farm and its associated buildings. Ironstone was quarried within the parish well into the 19th century, so ironstone is the major traditional building material found in the church and adjacent old school, in houses, cottages and walls throughout the village. Notable is the curve of stone buildings at the lower end of the main street opposite the minor lane to Skeffington.

The Main Street here turns towards Loddington and forms a sunken lane with many hawthorns nd having stone cottages high above it on the south, as well as varied stone and brick ones on the northside. Manor Farm with its land and outbuildings, greatly influences the Main Street. Manor Farmhouse itself, an imposing stone building stands apart in the midst of its land looking south across parkland. Views towards it from the south and southwest are important. A pantile capped wall extends along the west side separating the road from some of its parkland. Opposite a red brick former rectory and Redhill Farmhouse are set back from the road and facing the parkland.

At the top of the village by the church the settlement is clustered around the near circular raised churchyard with its dominant central church at the highest point in the village. The cherry trees in the churchyard are a feature. The irregular churchyard wall is mainly curved and is of ironstone. The former school building at the top of the Main Street follows this curve and has a small green in front of both it and the churchyard. The Rose & Crown Inn and its outbuildings opposite the west side are also curved and form a group of vernacular buildings at the entrance to the village from the B6047. Across from the Rose & Crown is a cross roads with groups of buildings facing west and a further row of ironstone and red brick cottages on the Oakham Road facing south to the churchyard, having a village pump in a recess between two. The entrance to the village from the east on the Oakham Road is abruptly marked by a stone farmyard building to the north and an alleyway leading to the church with yew trees on the Vicarage side and lime trees to the churchyard.

Tilton on the Hill Conservation Area map