Category Archives: Hornton Village

Hornton Open Gardens – Sunday 29 June

On Sunday 29  June, come along and enjoy visiting the varied gardens of Hornton.   Teas, raffle and a plant stall. Proceeds to be shared equally between Katharine House Hospice and village causes.  Cash only.

You can visit ten very different gardens from small to extensive – with interesting features and planting. The Grade 1-listed parish church will be open to visitors and has an interesting  Medieval “doom” painting. The Victorian Methodist chapel and the village pub, The Dun Cow, on West End will also be open. 

Tickets:  Combined entry to all the gardens £8, children free.  Cash only.  Tickets available on the village green opposite the post box.

Parking:  Disabled parking at the Methodist Chapel, Millers Lane, OX15 6BS. General parking at Hornton Pavilion (village hall), Bell Street, OX15 6DB. 

Accessibility:   Parts of some gardens are wheelchair accessible. Please take great care in the gardens, especially if you are looking after children. Some gardens have uneven surfaces, steps, steep slopes and ponds/water features. Hornton stone is very slippery indeed when wet! 

Dogs:  .On leads, please. Thank you for clearing up after your dog. 

Refreshments: Teas and home-made cakes will be available in the garden of The Cottage in Church Lane, OX15 6BY. 

Hornton & District W.I.

The next meeting of Hornton & District Women’s Institute will take place on Thursday 5th June where we will be visiting Rousham Gardens Rousham | House & Gardens at the earlier time of 6pm.

Rousham House & Gardens, B4260 Oxford Road, Just beyond Hopscroft Holt OX25 4QU  What3Words: ///depending.line.grit

Rousham is 18 miles away and will take about 40 minutes by car so lift sharing is recommended. We could leave the Green at Hornton at 5.15pm.

Rousham is completely unspoilt and uncommercialised – no tea room and no shop – just glorious gardens to explore at your leisure. Bring a picnic and comfortable shoes and it is yours for the evening. Don’t miss the walled garden with its herbaceous borders, small parterre, pigeon house and espaliers. One of England’s most important gardens, Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as its designer William Kent left it.  Many of the features that delighted its 18th century visitors are still there for 21st century visitors to enjoy. A favourite of many great garden designers, Monty Don says “Kent is the great genius of eighteenth-century garden design and Rousham is his masterpiece, one of the greatest gardens in the world!”

Please feel free to bring friends, neighbours, husbands or partners. Note: No Dogs and No Children under 15.

Entry to the garden will be free to Hornton & District WI members and will cost £10 for non-members.

Hornton & District W.I.

The W.I meet again on Thursday 3rd  April, 7.30pm in the Methodist Chapel, Hornton. Hornton’s very own Jane Wain and Sally Spencer will be the speakers – talking all things “Green and Clean”.

Clean & Green is the mantra of Nancy Birtwhistle (winner of the Great British Bake-Off): who’s Instagram account shows how she deals with a wide range of cleaning situations around the home. Jane and Sally will explain how to make your own non-toxic and plastic-free cleaning products. Their methods are cheaper, easier and greener than standard commercial cleaning products, and solve household problems ranging from removing rust marks and mould, making your own laundry detergent, getting sticky labels off jars, the best way to clean an oven and any number of tips for removing stains from clothes. Interested? Then come along to the chapel and find out how to transform your cleaning routine. You don’t need to be a signed-up WI member and you don’t need to live in Hornton!  Horley residents will be very welcome.

Notice of temporary road closures on Horton Lane between 24th March and 18th April 2025

See attached documents for details of road closures so that SF Stefan (Gigaclear contractor) can install fibre cables. The work is due to start next week and is in four phases.

Further information regarding the works may be obtained by contacting Charlie Gibbons on 07592 375 571 or email natasha.fernley@sf-stefan.co.uk

Notice T15228 Hornton, Road from Hornton to Bush HillDownload
SF-DWG-3040 JP9 Quarry Road. Heathcote, Hornton Lane, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 6BL, 52.102676,-1.4114830Download

Just Puddings Evening in Hornton this Friday (28th Feb)

Hornton has got a Just Puddings evening this Friday in aid of Katherine House Hospice. Horley villagers are welcome to come along too – and bring along pudding!

Please book in advance by emailing Jo Langton at joann.langton2013@gmail.com or calling her on  670359.

Fitness class in Hornton on Tuesday evenings

Alex Birch has just resumed the weekly Tuesday Circuit Sessions in Hornton pavilion and is keen that people from nearby villages have the opportunity to take part. He says:

“After a good warm up, we move into a circuit set up, with a mix of exercises targeting your upper body, lower body and core. It is designed to improve your strength, fitness and mobility. We round the session off with a short and fun aerobic session. All of the above is accompanied by uplifting tunes to keep the spirits up! “

Below are a couple of testimonials from current members:

‘The class has really helped my physical confidence. I’m stronger than I’ve been since having children, my balance has improved, I’ve lost weight and I’m less tired. And I’ve made lots of new friends!’  Carlie

“I’ve been going to Alex’s weekly workout sessions for 5 years and it has helped me strengthen my body and understand how to move and lift using my core muscles. There’s a mix of all ages, great music and a good workout.” Pete

 There are 12 sessions in all.

“At £65, it works out at just over £5 per session if you attend every session,” says Alex. “There is also the option to go for 6 sessions at £35 which is ideal for those that can’t commit every week and there is of course the pay-as-you-go option of £8 on the night.”

“We mostly meet at 6:30pm, although on the 2nd Tuesday of the month it is 6pm as our Garden Club friends are in the Pavilion immediately after us. 

“It has now become customary to finish each series with a glass of wine and a good natter.”

 If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, please contact Alex on 678504 or at acw.birch@btinternet.com

Hornton Allsorts

The Hornton Allsorts is the village drama group which has been staging and performing plays, pantomimes and theme nights for many years. See below for more details:

Our most recent production was a theme night based on a cruise ship where we not only performed a series of comedy sketches but served a three-course meal and ran a bar for the 74 “passengers” who joined us on the voyage. It was a great success and good fun was had by all.

We plan to stage two performances a year and it would be great to have some more people join us to take on acting and non-acting roles. There are no defined roles in the group, and anyone is free to have a go at doing anything they like: acting, writing, directing, stage management, set design, make-up, sound and lighting and running the all-important bar!

Absolutely no experience is necessary, and you may discover talents you didn’t realise you had or just never had the confidence to have a go.  All ages welcome! Our next performance will be a comedy play in March 2025 and so we are starting preparations for it now. If you’d like to be part of that play or would just like to come along to see what it’s all about, then please join us at the Pavilion on Wednesday 13th November at 7:30pm.



3Hs Gardening Club Annual Produce Show – Saturday 17th August

This year’s 3Hs Gardening Club members’ produce show will take place at Hornton Sports Pavilion on Saturday 17th August. Produce grown in members gardens and cookery and preserves prepared by them will be displayed in competition for ten cups and shields. These trophies have been traditionally presented over the many years of the gardening club and bear the names of many members past.  

Our gardens seem to have ridden out the storm of the terrible spring we had and are producing some fine specimens now that summer has finally arrived, so we’re hopeful of a bountiful show.

If you intend to enter any of the sections you will need to stage them between 09.15 and 11.15 after which judging will take place, and at 2.30pm the hall will be open to all and the presentation of prizes will take place.

The children’s section is open to all children up to the age of 16 and this year the entry will be the best 2 decorated cup-cakes.

Come along and enjoy this occasion and maybe consider joining and taking part next summer?