Horton Clockwise

A few years ago, the Horton Clockwise was my morning walk of choice: north up Horton Lane then cut across to Longmead Road and south home. Last week, I thought to reprise on the bicycle, making a serious attempt to use the various cycle paths provided.

Honeysuckle box

More than two years since I last snapped this one. Different light, a bit more fluffy perhaps not quite as healthy, but otherwise much the same. Not, as far as I know, prone to the ailments which afflict the ordinary box. See references 1 and 2.

Next stop, the allotments at the northwest corner of the Christchurch Road junction with Horton Lane, first noticed four years ago at reference 3.

Inner deer fence

The substantial gate through the insubstantial deer fence (recommended, I learned, by the eco people attached to Horton Country Park, people who ought to know) was open so I was able to park up and talk a walk inside. The gardens were mostly let and coming on well, with plenty of evidence of private enterprise in the matter of deer fences.

Outer deer fence

Flowers as well as vegetables, with the outer deer fence visible behind. Black plastic netting on 4 inch diameter posts, perhaps 6 feet high, perhaps 10 feet centres. Probably deer proof but not child proof - but that does not seen to be a problem yet.

Dahlias one

Dahlias two

Chapel under wraps

A little later, coming up to Horton Retail, I thought to take a look at the Chapel there, once the chapel for part of the (mental) hospital cluster, which seems to have fallen off this year's heritage open day listings. The reason turning out to be straightforward enough: being refreshed. Too good for the local Muslims, but just right for a community theatre action group, possible the people at reference 4, otherwise reference 6, this despite the fact that the borough already has at least two theatres. That said, not clear that the Muslims would have been able to raise the sort of money now being spent on the place, at least not without a bit of help from heritage and other central funds.

It so happened that the chap in charge was not that busy at the time, so he was able to show me around. A chap who had a stake in the place as his mother had once been a nurse in Manor Park Hospital and had taken mass in the chapel on a regular basis, it, quite properly for such a place, being interdenominational. We talked a bit about the fate of all the people who would, in the olden days found asylum (people with serious mental disorders) or incarceration (unmarried mothers who got even more unlucky) there.

The chapel looked to have been well built in its day and would be a handsome space when the refurbishment was complete. The sash windows looked to be in pretty good condition for their hundred years or more. The standard of workmanship and detailing was good - far too expensive for a building today. The parquet floor would clean up. And, unlike at Clandon of reference 5, the fake classical pillars contained bricks rather than empty space - bricks which had been cut to the circular shape.

One of the expensive bits was going to be taking the handsome barrel vaulted roof off and rebuilding it to modern standards - presumably including heat insulation - which must have been a problem in the good old days.

It will be interesting to go back in a year's time and see how it has all turned out.

And so, via Longmead Road, back to Costcutter to find that they still had 5 Guardians left, despite it approaching midday. Perhaps they have upped their order by one or two.

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/05/honeysuckle-box.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/08/caterpillar-control-episode-1.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/08/long-grove-park.html.

Reference 4: https://mgso4festival.org/.

Reference 5: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/06/more-clandon.html.

Reference 6: https://hortonchapelproject.org/.