A

B

C

D

E

Edgehill, Battle of, first battle of the English Civil War. It was fought on Sunday, October 23, 1642, on Edgehill, an elevated ridge a few kilometres north-west of Hornton. The forces involved were the Royalists led by Charles I, king of England, and the Parliamentarians led by Robert Devereux, 3rd earl of Essex, each with approximately 14,000 infantry and cavalry troops. The king's cavalry put the Parliamentary forces to flight, but themselves suffered heavy losses when they engaged in a disorganized pursuit. The outcome of the battle was indecisive militarily, exhausting the strength of both armies. Essex finally retired from Edgehill on October 24, forfeiting the victory to Charles. Microsoft Encarta World Encyclopedia

F

ferruginous  adjective

1. containing iron: containing or resembling iron

2. rust-coloured: of a reddish-brown colour, like rust

[Mid-17th century. Formed from Latin ferrugin, the stem of ferrugo, ‘iron rust’, from ferrum, ‘iron’.]

Microsoft Encarta Word English Dictionary

G

The Gossip

The Hornton Village Newspaper - see it on-line

H

There's only ONE Hornton!

In the UK there are:

• 1 x   Haunton (aun)   (Staffs)
• 10 x Hortons (no 'n')   (Bucks, Dorset, Lancs, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Staffs, Swansea, Wilts, 
• 6 x   Houghtons (ough)   (Cambs, Cumb, Hants, Northumb, Pembrokeshire, West Sussex)
• 6 x  Haughtons (augh)   (Notts, Shropshire x 4, Staffs)
• 1 x   Hawton (aw)   (Notts)

- but there is only one Hornton.

Hornton dates back to the Saxon period.  The Great God of the Woods, a giant with an antlered stag's head was known as Hoehn or Hornan.  Followers of this god or a Saxon leader using the same name may have settled along the stream that rises in our valley and makes its way to Sor brook.

Hornington is the first known spelling.  Horn from Hoehn, ing for the followers of Hoehn and ton, the enclosure or earth walls and ditches. In the roll of the King's Court and the Bloxham Hundreds the name Hornington is registered in 1194, becoming Hormington in 1213, Horlington in 1275, Horington in 1285 and finally Hornton in 1302.

© 2001 Philip Williams with acknowledgement to Mrs Bowes and additions by Paul Barrett

Hornton Stone

In and near the village of Hornton in North Oxfordshire this precious material has been quarried and cherished for generations and its distinctive colouring is to be seen in the walls of every conceivable type of building in the region from cottage to church. Geologically known as ferruginous limestone of the middle lias, this scientific name captures nothing of the rare colour qualities of Hornton Stone that can range from a warm light brown, through brown-purple, grey and green to various shades of mauve and blue. A stone noted for its hard wearing properties and ease of working is it any wonder that architects and artists have admired and used it for centuries?  Hornton Quarries Ltd www.horntonquarries.co.uk 

Hornton Stone or gingerbread stone can be seen in:

• Canterbury Cathedral
• St Paul's - London
• Oban Cathedral
• The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge

- and was a favourite material for sculptors Henry Moore and Eric Gill.

The Romans were familiar with Hornton stone too, there being  villa sites at Horley and possibly on the field area above the new footbridge, where ancient crab apples grow today.

© 2001 Philip Williams

Hornton Stone

Geologically -  a compact grained, brown/yellow/green/grey blue, coloured limestone;  ferruginous limestone of the middle lias.  Commonly known as Ironstone; sometimes known as Gingerbread stone.

Limestone, a sedimentary rock consisting largely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), usually in the form of the mineral calcite. It may be produced biologically, chemically, or physically. Most of the world’s ocean floors contain limestone that formed from the shells of dead marine organisms (such as foraminifera) that drifted downwards through the water and settled on the sea floor. A particular form of biological limestone, generated mainly in shallow waters, is chalk, but not all limestone is chalk. Coquina and oolite are also organic forms of limestone. However, limestone may also be produced chemically, being forced to precipitate out from saturated seawater that can dissolve no more carbonate. In rarer instances it may also be produced physically, by the deposition of pre-existing limestone particles that have been washed down by rivers, although rivers would probably dissolve much of the limestone that entered them.

Limestone may contain a small percentage of the calcium-magnesium carbonate mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2, and still be called a limestone, or sometimes dolomitic limestone. Moreover, unlike chalk, a particularly pure form of limestone, "limestone" may contain significant amounts of non-carbonate material such as silica, feldspar, clay, or pyrite. Microsoft Encarta Word Encyclopedia

Sedimentary Rock, in geology, rock composed of geologically reworked materials, formed by the accumulation and consolidation of mineral and particulate matter deposited by the action of water or, less frequently, wind or glacial ice. Most sedimentary rocks are characterized by parallel or discordant bedding that reflects variations in either the rate of deposition of the material or the nature of the matter that is deposited.

Sedimentary rocks are classified according to their manner of origin into mechanical or chemical sedimentary rocks. Mechanical rocks, or fragmental rocks, are composed of mineral particles produced by the mechanical disintegration of other rocks and transported, without chemical deterioration, by flowing water. They are carried into larger bodies of water, where they are deposited in layers. Shale, sandstone, and conglomerate are common sedimentary rocks of mechanical origin.

The materials making up chemical sedimentary rocks may consist of the remains of microscopic marine organisms precipitated on the ocean floor, as in the case of limestone. They may also have been dissolved in water circulating through the parent rock formation and then deposited in a sea or lake by precipitation from the solution. Halite, gypsum, and anhydrite are formed by the evaporation of salt solutions and the consequent precipitation of the salts. Microsoft Encarta Word Encyclopedia

I

Ironstone

ironstone [ ərn stōn] noun

1. GEOLOGY iron-bearing sedimentary rock: any sedimentary rock that contains a large amount of iron ore

           2. CERAMICS white pottery: a hard and durable variety of white pottery

Microsoft Encarta Word English Dictionary

J

K

L

Location of Hornton Village

Latitude   52º 06' N

Longitude   1º 26' W

Also see Map references

M

Map References

Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Scale Explorer Sheet 206

Map Ref SP393450 (Hornton Village Green)

N

O

P

Pietà (Our Lady of Pity), Hornton, Oxfordshire

Information quoted from www.paintedchurch.org

"Such evidence as there is points to the widespread popularity of all forms of this image - generally called in England ‘Our Lady of Pity’ - but after the Reformation it was attacked with as much ardour as it had once been reverenced, and there are very few wall paintings of the subject left.¹ One, in an even more battered state than the Hornton example, is at Slapton in Northamptonshire, where many other paintings remain.²"

To read the whole article Click here

Q

Quarrying

Hornton gave its name to the locally quarried Hornton Stone yet over recent years as the village has become more affluent, there has been an uneasy relationship with the quarrying companies, as a browse though 'Back Chat'  - the on-line archive for 'The Gossip' - indicates. 

Article from The Gossip - Issue 3 - Autumn 1991

Quarrying has started at Hornton Grounds. The workings are less than a mile away from the village along the top of Bush Hill. There has been great concern as to whether the skyline will be altered. The Parish Council have contacted Oxfordshire County Council Mineral Planning Dept. to see what planning permission has been granted for: the land around Hornton.

The permission to quarry around Hornton was granted in 1957. The Mineral Planning Officer has met the Parish Council on site in the last few weeks and defined where the boundary for quarrying is.

The Parish Council have also met representatives of Bennies who have explained how quarrying the stone is done. Top soil is removed and then the stone and iron ore is quarried to a depth of approx. 20 feet (6 metres).  This is crushed on the spot. Digging proceeds in a semi­circle around the crusher. Lorries come and load from the stock piles nearby. Periodically the crusher is moved forward as work progresses. Eventually the land which has been quarried is re-instated for farmland but is at a lower level.  

Within the next 10 years, depending on demand, the quarrying will ­progress behind Holloway and to the field above Bell Street gardens. The Parls1l Council have expressed their concern to Bennies as to the closeness of quarrying and the dust and noise this will cause, from blasting, the crusher and lorries.

British Steel are the owners of the land in question and they have asked Bennies to lower the skyline at the far end of Bush Hill to make farming the land there easier for the tenant farmer. The Parish Council have written to British Steel requesting that they re-consider this decision and also to ask them if they would be prepared to plant trees along the boundary above Bell Street gardens to lessen the noise and dust.

Article from The Gossip - Issue 4 - Winter 1991/2

A village meeting was held on Monday 9th December, 1991 in the Church Room to discuss the quarry­ing at Hornton Grounds. Those who attended included Mr. J. Duncalfe (Mineral Planning Dept. Oxon C.C.) Cllr D. Turner, Mr. Sacha (Chief of Landscape Services Cherwell District Council), Hornton Parish Council and approx; 70 concerned villagers. Representatives from British Steel and Bennies had been invited but unfortunately due to foggy weather were unable to attend.

Cllr. Hart took the chair. Mr. Duncalfe explained that planning permission was granted in 1957 and this could not be withdrawn. He was able to answer most of the questions put to him. The main Concern of the meeting was the closeness of the boundary line to the village which is approx. 30 metres back from the skyline and the effect that dust and noise created by the workings would have on the village. There was also great concern at the proposed lowering of the skyline to the S.W. of the village.

Minutes of the meeting are avail­able from any Parish Council member.

Since the meeting Mr. Duncalfe has put forward suggestions on how he thinks the quarry work can be oper­ated to lessen the impact on the village. Mr. Sacha has contacted the Environmental Health Dept. on our behalf to find out what controls they have on dust and noise levels. The outcome is that they have authority to stop work if the dust and sound levels are too high but this can only be measured while work is in progress. They do not consider that our water supply will be damaged at this stage as the village is connected to mains water.

The Parish Council, as elected representatives of the village, have written to British Steel requesting that the boundary line be moved back to 500 metres from the skyline, and that the skyline to the S.W. should not be lowered. British Steel’s reply was:­

'If we move the quarry boundary 500m. back from the existing sky­line, it would result in the sterilisation of 9 million tonnes of workable mineral, which in turn would represent to this company alone a loss of several million pounds. In addition, the quarry operators, Peter Bennie Limited, would also be entitled to substan­tial compensation. Therefore, this suggestion is totally unacceptable'. They go on to say that the company, in agreement with Bennies, may be agreeable to a limited voluntary extension of the restricted area.

The Parish Council are hoping to negotiate the best possible conditions for the village and to this end have arranged another village meeting on April 6th, in the Church Room at 8 p.m.  Representatives from British Steel have promised to attend and Mr. Duncalfe, Cllr. D. Turner, Mr. Sacha and Bennies have also been invited.

Article from The Gossip - Issue 6 - Summer 1992

British Steel and Peter Bennie Ltd are prepared to swap 58 acres of land along the back of the village for 48 acres of land around Starveall Barn. This is subject to planning permission being granted for the new area. If this swap is allowed then the land given up along the back of the village will never be quarried.

In effect this proposal will mean that the quarrying will be approx. 200 metres back from the existing quarry line and the valley to the S.W. will be untouched.

Mr.J. Duncalfe explained that the new Mineral Plan for Oxfordshire recognises that there are already enough quarrying sites in the county with planning permission to fulfill our needs and no other planning will be granted unless it is as a swap of land for environmental reasons as in this case. Both Mr. Duncalfe and Cllr. D. Turner agreed that there is a very good possibility that this swap of land will gain planning permission.

There were many questions from the floor. Many villagers were concerned that because British Steel own the mineral rights on much of the land around Hornton that in the future more land will be taken for minerals. Mr. Duncalfe said that the country has enough sites for at least the next 10 years.

Cllr Hart proposed that the meeting accept British Steel's proposal and asked for a show of hands.  90% were in favour of the proposal, 10% abstained and there were no objections.

Article from The Gossip - Issue 7 - Autumn 1992

Since the last open meeting there has been very little quarrying done at the Hornton Grounds site. 

Hornton Parish Council have been in contact with British Steel to find out what progress has been made to obtain planning permission for the site at Starveall Barn. 

Mr. R. Collins. Regional Property Manager for British Steel states that geological investigations have been carried out at the new site and the result is that only 24 acres of land to the south of the barn is economically workable.

(Editor's Note:  Although we moved here in July 1999, long after this episode, on a personal note I am relieved at this decision.  Paul Barrett - Starveall Barn - Hornton.  Oct 2001)

A quiet period follows and it is 1995 before the subject reappears in The Gossip - Issue no 20 - Winter 1995/6

Hornton Quarry -Impact on Hornton Village.

Report by Jeremy Sacha -Cherwell District representative

I was invited to attend a village meeting at Hornton on Monday 29th January regarding the above. The meeting was chaired by the Parish Council and Councillor David Turner as District Councillor and Ward Member. John Duncalfe, the County Minerals Officer was there as County representative and I was invited on behalf of Cherwell. British Steel, the quarry company and Bennies, their contractors were also represented.

The main issue facing the village was the potential noise and dust disturbance caused by quarrying so close to the village edge. Many villagers obviously felt aggrieved because in 1992 British Steel offered to leave the area closest to the village in return for quarrying a new area further from the village around Starveall Barn. No planning application was made as the company later found that the amount and quality of rock resource was not commercially viable. They therefore retracted their previous offer to the village.

They were, however, prepared to move back 200 metres in return for village approval to opening a new area of land owned by the Nunneley Estate. The County Council were concerned about part of this land to the east of the village road because of the inevitable landscape impact. The company have carried out bore holes on the Nunneley land and are convinced that the stone is viable.

The villagers were therefore asked to consider the possible 'swap' of the permitted land closest to the village for the alternative Nunneley Land.  Although tempted by the option, the villagers were obviously concerned that the quarrying of land to the east of the road would be very intrusive.

If the 'swap' was not possible 'in part, the company would be prepared to build a landscape bund along the top of the quarry edge to help baffle the noise and dust.

John Duncalfe and Councillor Turner explained that the County Council's policy is not to grant further permissions for quarrying ironstone as there is already adequate supply of this material for the foreseeable future. Their current policy would also prevent quarrying within 350 metres of dwellings. The problem with the Hornton site is that the original planning permission dates back to 1957 and very few restrictive conditions were applied at that time.

The villagers also felt that the swap with the Nunneley land was not a particularly generous offer from the company as they could gain more land than they were losing, parti­cularly as the company had said that they would not actually cut into the skyline edge immediately above the village (although their plan­ning permission would allow them to do so). The question was asked as to whether Cherwell would provide a noise and dust monitoring service.

The company were rather vague about the time it would take to quarry the strip of land nearest to the village. Depending on the market for stone and the direction of cut, it could take between 6 months and 3 years. They would like to start work in this area after the harvest in September.

Even if the swap of land was agreed, the company and the County would like to see an earth bund formed along the valley edge to baffle dust and noise. The soil would be spread back over the site as part of restoration works.

There are no proposals or planning permissions for tipping refuse on this site. There are many other options in the wider area before land adjacent to Hornton would need to be considered.

The decision on this issue is not likely to be taken by the company for 2-3 months. John Duncalfe reported on other measures that may help to relieve the noise and dust problem. The company gave their response.

1. Advanced tree planting - Given the likely timescale involved this would not be appropriate.

2. The operator to work only from the quarry floor rather than from high levels on a bench face -This could be considered.

3. Move the main crusher back to the existing site offices -This could cause more noise as the quarry face would have less effect on noise absorption.

4. Install a conveyor system to transport primary crushed stone away from the quarry face. -The crusher would still have to work close to the quarry face and the loading on to the conveyor could be noisy and dusty.

5. Apply dust suppressors to the crusher- These were already in place.

The meeting ended. It was generally felt that more information was needed on the Environmental Health issues and available controls.

Article from The Gossip - Issue 23 - Autumn 1996

At the open village meeting on Tuesday October 15th, 1996 the voting slips were counted to find out which quarrying line the village prefer. As you are aware a letter prior to the meeting was sent to every household in Hornton explaining what the two lines marked out in the field at the top of Langway meant. Maps were displayed on the notice board also to this end. Of the 247 letters sent out, 189 were returned. The result was 117 votes for the red quarrying line, 47 votes for the yellow line. 15 votes, not concerned (although most people were concerned but had no preference) and 10 votes for no quarrying at all. As stated at previous open meetings there is planning permission to quarry at Hornton Grounds and this could not be withdrawn without consider­able compensation to British Steel and Peter Bennie Ltd. and is not a real option. 

The Parish Council have informed British Steel that the red line is preferred by the residents of Hornton, which is the original line of the planning permission.  They have agreed that they will not go into the field at West End called Bush Hill which was part of the original permission but will stay behind the skyline as they are doing at the moment.

Although the planning permission was granted many years ago when there were no real conditions to which the quarrying need adhere too, Peter Bennie Ltd have tried to keep down the noise and dust and have not worked to many unsociable hours and have restored the land as they have gone along. We hope they will continue to do this and consider what effects the workings may have as they come closer to us.

 The Parish Council have already requested that Cherwell District Council monitor the noise and dust now so that there is something to compare with if there is a problem in the future.

Oxfordshire County Council have a new Mineral draft plan in the pipeline which has stricter codes of working for quarries with new planning permission and it is hoped that these conditions can be used as a guideline for the quarry at Hornton Grounds.

There has been a suggestion that a bund of earth be put along the boundary line to help keep the noise and dust to a minimum.  Until the quarrying comes closer to us, we do not know what effects it will have on the village but we are confident that both Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council will have our interests at heart.

And there, for now, the Quarry Story seems to rest.  Starveall Barn has been converted into a residential property so any planning consent for quarrying around it will be subject to some proximity restrictions.  At a recent open day the quarry operators gave a message to visitors that the workings at Hornton may be limited by two factors - the market for the stone and the availability of the skilled staff to work it.

The small grade stone is no longer acceptable for road stone and is largely used as a fill material for building sites.  In this form, it cannot command a high prices so the economics of extraction become more of a challenge.  The larger grade stone is still in demand for building but with limited building programmes for Hornton Stone, even that is not a high demand market.  More relevant is that the number of young people prepared to come into the business is limited - and as a consequence, when the current staff retire, there may be no-one to take over. 

So perhaps the current workings at Hornton Grounds may be the last so close to the village?

Paul Barrett - Starveall Barn - October 2001

Update: 16th April 2002 - A new planning application has been made - follow this link for details

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Back to Top