Memories of Horton (from Rosalind Willetts)

 Arthur Jacob Nature Reserve

There was a long high concrete wall to the south side of the Stanwell Road by the  Arthur Jacob nature reserve.  This meant the Stanwell road was always in the shade.  It was built to protect the public from the rifle range at Wraysbury.  The wall did not protect Dairy Farm in Coppermill Road from  stray bullets which was one reason why my great grandfather James Willatts, left Dairy Farm to farm in Wraysbury.

The Arthur Jacob nature reserve was named after the Arthur Jacob who was county Councillor for  Horton and Wraysbury and did much for the area.  He died  perhaps in the 1970s 

The Five  Bells:   

The  church had five bells up until the 1890s.  The church owned the Five Bell Public House and when it came to renew the lease it asked for a premium of £60. This was used to pay for the sixth bell which has a lengthy inscription for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

In the 1950s the bells were unringable. In 1960 my father E Christie Willatts spearheaded the restoration of the tower,  This involved having a concrete ring installed to support the bell  frame.  The bell frame was renewed and the bells rehung.  The turret was dismantled to about half way down and then rebuilt.  The clock face was repainted blue.  The simple wind vane arrow and  cardinal points was removed by the Rector The Revd T.D Prentis for repair, but it never was repaired or returned.

St Michael's West door

The west door of the church which may well be 15thC in age  - I have not examined it for many years  - was last used for the wedding c 1922 of   Dora Brown to Herbert Wiggins.  Dora Brown's father ran the village shop. In the 1940s and 50s it was run by her brother.  Herbert Wiggins was a  market gardener who lived halfway up the Colnbrook road, by the Halfway House PH, both farmhouse and pub and cottages behind were lost to the  Q M reservoir. The Browns retired to the house Osmington on the village Green.  Some of the Victorian stained glass from the farmhouse was brought down and installed in it. Dora lived there after the farmhouse was demolished.

The bombing of cottages in Park Lane in 1941.  

This was random dropping of bombs by returning German aircraft. The cottages in question were just over the stream at the far end of the lane.  Turn right at the end by the pair of cottages, go along the track for c 100  yards over the bridge and there was the site of the bombed cottages. At the time there were young evacuee boys living there - described by my father as the  sweetest boys you  could find.    Many years later he ensured that their names were on the village war memorial.

Champney Hall & playing field

 During the war and well into the 1950s there were Nissan huts on what is now the Recreation Ground next to the Champney Hall.  They were lived in in the 1950s.  The field behind was the place of the village sports for the Coronation.  I have the programme still.

Mr and Mrs Champney's home

Mr Champney and his wife Margaret  lived in the 18thC house enlarged in Edwardian times opposite the Green at the corner of Park lane.   After the death of his wife it became the Margaret Champney Nursing home.  From  1952 to c 1980 it was a home for retired gardeners run by the  Gardeners Royal Benevolent Fund.