The Early English chancel is a pretty, rustic structure, with a thatched roof and neatly plastered walls, and the date 1703 picked out in a naive style with red tiles in the flint of the gable. 1703 was the year of one of the two great storms of that century; it destroyed much of the fishing fleet along the Norfolk coast, and so I suppose it is possible that the mending of the chancel happened in response to that storm. The storm took place in November, but in those days the New Year did not begin until March 25th, which might just have given time for a new gable. Another possibility is that the chancel had been fixed up earlier in that year, in which case the churchwardens must have been well pleased that their handiwork survived the maelstrom, and still survives for us to see today. The triple lancet window is unusual, not least because the plastering creates the effect that the windows are melting.

It is understandable that the Church of England has suffered a loss of nerve in some parishes in recent years, but to come to Horsford is to see another side of the story. Here, there is a brand new gallery at the west end of the nave, and it has been built to house an organ. It is in a thoroughly modern assymetrical style, and is obviously the mark of a parish which is mindful of its tradition, and is taking that tradition with it into the future. I found it hard to imagine that many parishes would have the confidence and motivation to spend money on such a project in this day and age, and I found that rather heartening.