Hornchurch

 Hornchurch began as a small village in Essex. It was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 but there might have been a tiny hamlet at Hornchurch at that time. Certainly, a village grew up at Hornchurch by the middle of the 12th century. By about 1163 a church had been built at Hornchurch on the site of the present St Andrew’s Church.

In the early 13th century it was called the Horned Church. We do not know why it was called the Horn Church. Perhaps the church building had metal gutters that reminded people of horns. At any rate, the church gave the village of Hornchurch its name.