Church Of St Oswald

The Church of St Oswald is a parish church located in Horton in Ribblesdale. The nave dates back to the 12th century, while the rest of the church was built in the 15th century, with alterations made in the 19th and 20th centuries. The structure is constructed from rubble brought to course, with stone dressings and a lead roof.

The church features a three-stage west tower, a gabled south entrance porch, a five-bay nave, and north and south aisles, along with a one-bay chancel and north and south chapels. The west tower has a segmental pointed west entrance with a moulded surround and hoodmould, leading to a plank door. It also includes a three-light Perpendicular window with trefoil heads, where the central light is attached to a mullion that pierces the arch above, accompanied by a hoodmould. Above this is a small trefoil-headed window and a two-light louvred window in the bell stage, both with trefoil heads and hoodmoulds. The tower is supported by diagonal buttresses and features a string course at the base of the embattled parapet.

The south entrance porch has a moulded segmental pointed arch and a Romanesque entrance with a round head, featuring mouldings that include zig-zag and roll patterns, some of which were restored around 1980. The porch also has a plank door. The north and south aisles each contain three two-light Perpendicular chamfered mullioned windows with trefoil heads.

The chancel has a segmental pointed south entrance with a chamfered surround and a plank door. To the right, there is a double chamfered three-light mullioned window with round heads. The north vestry, dating from around 1879, has an eaves stack. The east windows of the north and south chapels are both two-light double chamfered mullioned windows with round arched heads. The east window of the chancel features three lights with chamfered mullions and trefoil heads, along with rectilinear tracery above and a hoodmould with head stops. The chancel is also supported by diagonal buttresses and has an east cruciform finial.

Inside, the church has round arches leading to the north and south arcades. The north arcade features a dentiled cornice and paterae on the cap of the westernmost pier, likely from the late 18th century. The two westernmost pillars are round, while the two eastern pillars are both Perpendicular and octagonal. The south arcade has three westernmost pillars that are round, with the eastern pillar being octagonal. Corbels in the north and south aisles indicate the former lower pitch of the aisle roofs. The nave has a shallow pitched king post roof, restored around 1879. Additionally, there is a Romanesque font with zig-zag moulding on the bowl, which rests on a square base with splayed sides.