Horners Corner, Rochford

In the third photo of Horners, this used to be called the slaughter house, it was right opposite from my grandfather's cobblers shop at 6 East street.

As I also seem to remember, Horner's also had a pasture in South St just beyond where the Police Stn is on the opposite side of road. The field had large 'conker' trees growing alongside the road fence. We used to collect them when they were ready for games of conkers. One day, myself and a couple of my friends were trying to knock down some conkers from the tree, when suddenly a loud voice shouted, 'Oi!, you. Stand still, I want a word with you lot.' It was one of the local policemen, so we thought we would be in trouble .... but, instead, he asked which ones did we want. We told him there looked some big ones higher up, but we couldn't reach them. He then thought a minute and got his truncheon out and threw it into the tree knocking down some of the bigger ones for us. Phew, we really thought we were in for it. lol

When I was a little boy growing up in Rochford, Horner's was a working butchers shop with an abattoir at the back. They bought the animals from the market in The Square and took then to the holding pens in Quys Lane (opposite large green doors at side of Horner's in East St). They then brought the animals down when they were ready to slaughter them. As I grew older, I rented a garge in Quys Lane right opposite the holding pens and the animals used to look over the wall with a look on their faces that showed they knew their fate !!!!. Sad, but fact of life.

Here is a link to the text from the 1978 listing of the buildings:

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-123210-horner-s-corner-horner-s-corner-shop-fro

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Lightly edited 1978 listing text:

Corner block, now empty. C18 and C19 of earlier origin. Mainly red brick
facing to North Street, excepting plastered south gable. Red brick first floor, tiled ground floor to South Street. Plastered brick to East Street. Red plain tiled roofs, that to northern block of East Street range derelict at time of re-survey. 2 rear chimney stacks to North Street face, left end stack to East Street.

North Street face, the northern 3 storey block with 2 window range of small paned vertically sliding sashes, gauged brick arches. 4 panel door to right, fanlight over, gauged brick arch. The southern block of 2 storeys and attics, coping to right and left gables and central parapet. Gabled lucam to central roof, now weatherboarded. 2-light window to right gable attic. 1:1:0 first floor small paned vertically sliding sashes, gauged brick arches. 1:2:O ground floor windows boarded at time of re-survey, gauged brick arches to the 2 left windows, fluted pilasters, moulded frieze and flat canopy to right window. Simple surround to 4-panelled door between the left windows.

South Street face. Red brick parapet, 3 first floor vertically sliding sashes with horns, segmental arches tiled ground floor shop front, left and right doors with attached inner shop windows, all now boarded, fascias over.

East Street face. A single storey link building now completely boarded is attached to the 2 storey northern block, now with roof missing. Dentilled cornice, 3 first floor small paned windows. A small square off centre left and a long rectangular window with timber lintel to right. Simple doorway to left, all now boarded. 2 square pierced metal grilles below long window.

Listing NGR: TQ8767790533

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