In the late 15th century, the lord of the manors of Arden Hall and Horndon House was Sir Edmund Shaa.

A woolmarket was established in the village in the early 16th century; the building later became a shelter for the poor people of the area.

[8] Since the 13th century, Horndon on the Hill has hosted the annual "Feast and Fayre" on the last weekend in June.

[9] Prominent residents have included Sir John Tusa, journalist and broadcaster and former President of Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Philip Conrad Vincent, founder & Designer of Vincent Motorcycles Great Britain, lived in Horndon on the-Hill, and his final resting place is in the Parish cemetery of St Peter and St Paul in the centre of the village.