Church Of St. Andrew

Church of St Andrew, Horbling, is a parish church dating from the late 12th century with substantial additions in the mid-13th century, around 1330, and the late 15th century. It was restored in 1852, 1877 and 1879. The building is constructed of coursed limestone and ironstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with a stone-coped east gable topped by a cross finial. The plan comprises a nave with north and south aisles and south porch, north and south transepts with crossing tower, and chancel.

The west front dates from around 1170 but was remodelled in the late 15th century and is clasped by the west fronts of the north and south aisles. The original west front has fragmentary plinth and rubble walling reaching up to a string course running below the east window. There are squat central and tall flanking pilaster buttresses, the latter with angle shafts having waterleaf and beaded cushion capitals. The 15th-century west window breaks through a 12th-century blind arcade. The arcade survives with a single shaft to the left having a moulded base and beaded cushion capital supporting the springing of a partially intact round arch, and a single shaft to the right with plain cushion capital also supporting the springing of a partially intact round arch. The large 15th-century window has a pointed head with five cusped, ogee-headed lights, two transoms, panel tracery, hood mould and block label stops. The outline of the more steeply pitched 12th-century gable flanks the window head. Above are a moulded string course and battlements.

The west front of the 12th-century north arcade was remodelled in the 14th century with moulded plinth, string course and a two-stage gabled buttress to the north. It has a pointed window of three cusped ogee-headed lights with two cusped mouchettes and a quatrefoil, hood mould and block label stops, and a moulded parapet above. The 14th-century north aisle has moulded plinth and string courses running over regularly placed two-stage gabled buttresses. To the west is a doorway with pointed head with filleted rolls, two shafts on each side with moulded capitals, hood mould, head label stops and plank door. To the east are three pointed windows, partially restored in the 19th century, each with three ogee-headed cusped lights, two mouchettes, a quatrefoil, hood mould and label stops, with moulded parapet above.

The late 15th-century clerestory above has eight closely set windows with bowtell-moulded surrounds, triangular heads, three cusped lights (those flanking with triangular heads) and hood moulds. There are moulded eaves and battlements above. The 12th-century north transept was remodelled in the 14th century with plinth and moulded string courses running over two-stage gabled angle buttresses. It has a tall 14th-century pointed north window with pointed head and three cusped, ogee-headed lights, flowing tracery and hood mould. The east side of the transept has a pointed window with three cusped ogee-headed lights, three mouchettes and hood mould.

The 12th-century chancel has a moulded string course running over three pilaster buttresses. There are two 12th-century windows with round heads and single flanking nook shafts with scalloped and cushion capitals. The windows flank a single blocked window with west jamb visible and fragmentary cushion capital. There is a 12th-century corbel table. The east end has a plinth and rubble walling running up to the level of a moulded string course, with squat central and tall flanking pilaster buttresses, the latter with angle shafts with scalloped capitals. Three lancets of 1852 have a continuous hood mould.

The south side of the chancel has a plinth with moulded string course running over three pilaster buttresses. There are two 19th-century round-headed windows, both with nook shafts with scalloped capitals of various designs and double billet hood mould. Below to the west is a 15th-century blocked doorway with triangular moulded head and chamfered jambs.

The 12th-century south transept was remodelled in the 14th century with moulded plinth and a 14th-century two-stage buttress to the east, a 12th-century squat central pilaster buttress and a 12th-century pilaster buttress to the west. It has a late 15th-century pointed window with three cusped, pointed lights, panel tracery, double bowtell-moulded surround, hood mould and angel label stops. There is a sundial in the gable. The west side of the transept has a 19th-century doorway with triangular head, chamfered surround and panelled door, with 12th-century ironstone rubble walling above.

The 12th-century crossing tower was remodelled around 1330 and has 12th-century pilaster angle buttresses with angle shafts with cushion capitals. The south-east corner has a 14th-century three-stage polygonal stair turret with slit stairlights. The north and south sides show the outline of the original steeply pitched transept roof gables. The east side has a 12th-century lancet. The 14th-century bell openings on all four sides each have a round, roll-moulded head with roll-moulded Y tracery, an outer pointed head with single flanking shafts and with a plate quatrefoil between the round and pointed heads, and hood mould. There are moulded eaves with several gargoyles and battlements with tall corner pinnacles.

The 15th-century south aisle has a plinth and moulded string courses running over regularly placed three-stage buttresses. Three 15th-century windows have double bowtell-moulded surrounds, three pointed cusped lights, panel tracery and hood moulds, with moulded parapet above. The 19th-century gabled south porch to the west has a pointed doorway with semi-circular responds with moulded capitals. The porch interior has flanking stone benches and a late 15th-century pointed doorway with bowtell-moulded surround, hood mould and panelled doors. The 15th-century clerestory has eight closely set windows with bowtell-moulded surrounds, triangular heads, three cusped lights (those flanking with triangular heads) and hood moulds. There are moulded eaves and battlements above.

Inside, the four-bay north arcade of around 1170 has pointed double-chamfered heads, triangular responds, polygonal piers and crocketed capitals. The four-bay south arcade of the mid-13th century has pointed heads with an inner chamfered order and outer hollow chamfered moulded order, semi-circular responds, a round pier to the west and two quatrefoil piers to the east, all with plain moulded capitals. The north doorway in the north aisle has a segmental hood mould and head label stops. Windows in the north aisle have hood moulds and head label stops.

The 12th-century east and west crossing arches have jambs of three rolls, the central rolls larger, all with richly beaded scalloped capitals. The richly moulded heads were repaired and refurbished in the 14th century re-using the 12th-century triple rolls, but still lean seriously out of line. The 14th-century north and south lower crossing archways have triple chamfered pointed heads with hood moulds, and responds of six clustered shafts with continuous hollows, each central shaft with fillet.

A 12th-century archway leads from the south aisle of the nave into the south transept with a pointed, double-chamfered head dying into a rectangular respond to the south and into the 14th-century stair turret inserted against the south-west crossing pier. A 14th-century doorway gives access to the stairs, with triangular head, chamfered surround and a ribbed 14th-century door with two wooden shields at the top. There is a blocked, sharply pointed 12th-century door in the south wall of the south transept.

A 14th-century archway leads from the north aisle of the nave to the north transept with a pointed double-chamfered head and responds with three rolls with continuous hollows and fillets. The north transept contains a 15th-century tomb recess with richly moulded triangular head and a lunette above with relief of an angel and grotesque bearded figure flanking the risen Christ. An unrelated 15th-century tomb chest is inserted below with richly cusped panels containing coats of arms and two central kneeling figures supporting the arms of Sir Thomas la Laund, who died in 1470. There is a piscina with ogee head and chamfered surround, and a corbel set in the east wall depicting a head with stranded hair and headband. Above is a brass plate including black, blue and red decorative detail to Reverend Thomas Brown, who died in 1849, designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and made by Hardman.

Three marble monuments in the north transept comprise one in white and black marble with broken pediment with cartouche rising from the broken apex, to Edmund Brown who died in 1692; a white marble monument with segmental pediment, ornate apron and fluted pilasters, to Edward Brown who died in 1751; and a white marble monument with ornate apron with cartouche with two lions rampant, to Elizabeth Brown who died in 1737. There is an ornate 16th-century chair with grotesque masks spewing fruit and foliage, and an ashlar monument with broken pediment to Edward Brown who died in 1699.

The chancel has 12th-century sedilia with round head and roll-moulded continuous surround. To the east is a 12th-century piscina with round head and roll-moulded surround in one. There is a faint outline of a 12th-century doorway in the east side of the north-east respond with upper round head and segmental lower head. A 12th-century string course, restored in the 19th century, runs under the east windows with chevron and beaded decoration. The 12th-century north windows have a continuous roll-moulded surround. The east lancets have nook shafts with shaft rings. There is a 16th-century pedestal for a holy statue with flower head and ribbon decoration, and a 19th-century altar rail.

Monuments in the chancel include two plain ashlar monuments to Sarah Tomisman who died in 1798 and Thomas Tomisman who died in 1804; an ashlar plaque with pediment to Thomas Thimbleby, 1727; a small marble plaque to William Tomisman who died in 1817; and a black and white marble monument with urn and draperies to William Tomisman who died in 1816.

A fragment in the nave comprises a small scalloped capital. The 14th-century octagonal pedestal of the font has traceried panels, each with trefoiled head and with angels and foliage in the spandrels. The 15th-century octagonal font has symbols of the instruments of the Passion on each face. The 15th-century nave tiebeam roof has small carved angels and shields. The aisle and chancel roofs are 19th-century.

Monuments in the nave include one to Harriet Smith who died in 1808, of white marble with urn and foliage; and a brass with cusped ogee head to Benjamin Wilkinson who died in 1848, probably by Pugin and Hardman. There is a hatchment and royal coat of arms. The pews, lectern and other fittings are 19th-century.