Horton, Berkshire
Coordinates: 51°28′25″N 0°32′35″W / 51.4735°N 0.5431°W
| Horton | |
 St Michael's Church |
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 Horton
Horton shown within Berkshire |
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| Population | 983 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TQ0175 |
| Civil parish | Horton |
| Unitary authority | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Ceremonial county | Berkshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SLOUGH |
| Postcode district | SL3 |
| Dialling code | 01753 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Windsor |
Horton is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is located between Windsor and Staines-upon-Thames. Horton was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974. Through the Horton parish flows the Colne Brook which runs to the River Thames from the River Colne.[1]
The village name is a common one in England. It is Anglo Saxon in origin and derives from the two words horu 'dirt' and tūn 'settlement, farm, estate', presumably meaning 'farm on muddy soil'.[2] In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as Hortune.[3] The Horton Manor was assessed at 10 hides and held by Walter son of Other.
Wraysbury railway station is nearest its southern end and Sunnymeads railway station is nearest its western end.
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Church of St Michael the Archangel [edit]
The nave of St Michael dates from about the middle of the 12th century[citation needed]. The north transept and west tower were first built in the 15th century[citation needed]. The aisle, chancel and vestry was rebuilt in 1875–6.[1] The unusual exterior of the church is chequered with brickwork limestone and flint. The large square tower is set with a clock, and houses the bells, which were augmented from five to six in 1987. Also of note is the North doorway under a Norman Arch in the porch. The tower is square and between 70 feet (21 m) and 80 feet (24 m) high.[3]
Famous residents [edit]
John Milton the English poet is one of the more famous former residents of Horton.[3][4] His family rented Berkyn Manor, a house that belonged to Sir John Egerton, in the parish between 1632 and 1640. The chancel of the St Michael parish church contains the grave of Milton's mother Sara; and a 19th century stained glass window on the church commemorates Milton's poem Paradise Lost. The current Berkyn Manor was rebuilt in 1848 by Edward Tyrrell (Remembrancer of the City of London) reputedly on the site of Milton's house.
Politics [edit]
On a Parish level, the village is represented by nine councillors of the Horton Parish Council.[5]
On Borough level, the town is part of the Horton and Wraysbury electoral ward and is currently represented by two councillors (John Lenton and Colin Rayner of the Conservative Party) in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.[6] Councillor Rayner serves on both the Horton Parish Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council.
Nationally, since 1997 the ward has formed part of the UK Parliamentary constituency of Windsor and is currently represented by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party.
Before 1997, the town was part of the UK Parliamentary constituency of Windsor and Maidenhead which was consistently held by the Conservative Party.
References [edit]
- ^ a b Parishes: Horton, A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3, W. Page (Editor), 1925, pp. 281-286.
- ^ Victor Watts (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), s.v. HORTON.
- ^ a b c Victor Watts (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), s.v. HORTON; History of the Parish of Wraysbury, Ankerwycke Priory, and Magna Charta Island; with the History of Horton, and the town of Colnbrook, Bucks., G.W.J. Gyll, 1862, London: H. G. Bohn. Online Version at Google Books OCLC: 5001532
- ^ The life of John Milton: narrated in connexion with the political, ecclesiastical, and literary history of his time, Vol. 1. David Masson, 1859. Boston: Gould and Lincoln.
- ^ Horton Parish Council official website
- ^ Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: Horton and Wraysbury Ward
External links [edit]
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