St Michael's, Horton

History - The Building - Architecture

The Interior
The two most notable features are the roof and the south arcade. The massive mediaeval roof has two great tie-beams supporting octagonal crown-posts from each of which branch two braces. This structure is generally confined to south-east England. The late 12th century arcade has two large round piers and three slightly pointed arches. The soffit (underside) of the western-most arch has traces of 12th century painted decoration in red pigment.

The Tower Arch
The tall, four-centred tower arch with polygonal jambs is later 15th century perpendicular; the small door and doorway to the stair turret are also late 15th century as are the moulded ceiling-timbers. Notice the fove guide holes in the ceiling for bellropes.

The North Chapel
Is entered by the lovely continuous 14th century arch. There is a simple brass chandelier of 1728, and a mediaeval piscina. The altar is a memorial to the village dead of the Great War.

The chapel was formerly the responsibility of the Lords of the manor whose big private pew is shewn in Scott's plan. In the 17th and 18th centuries the manor was held by the Scawens , many of whom were interred in a vault (now closed) below the chapel floor. They were buried in linen for which they paid a levy of Ł50; everyone else was buried in wool, a government stipulation to encourage the wool industry. A huge and elaborate memorial to them occupied much space in the chapel, but disappeared during the restoration.

The Porch and North Doorway
The 16th century porch, rebuilt in the 1870s is timber-studded above a brick plinth. The external oak doors below the pretty cusped bargeboards are of 1970. The proch protects the church's architectural gem, the North doorway.

This richly decorated C12th doorway has a semi circular arch with four orders of decoration and is flanked by a pair of shafts with scallopped capitals. The two orders of bead-and-reel and chevron are unusual in that they extend to the ground. An interesting feature is that the voussoirs (wedge-shaped stones) are alternativing yellow limestone and white clunch. The north position and the softness of the clunch stone means that the door