Description

SOUTH LEIGH CHURCH END
SP30NE
Church of St. James
7/232
12/09/55
GV I

Church. Late C12 chancel rebuilt 1871-2 by E.W. Christian. Late C15 nave and
north aisle, probably by William Orchard; restored 1871 by C.C. Rolfe and 1887-8
by H.W. Moore; late C15 west tower. Coursed limestone rubble; gabled stone slate
aisle and north chancel roof; shallow-pitched nave and north aisle roofs not
visible. Chancel with north chapel running into north aisle of nave; west tower.
Late C15 five-light east window with panel tracery. South chancel wall has early
16 three-light round-arched window with vine-carved label mould; chamfered
Norman doorway has hogbacked lintel with carved tympanum depicting Maltese cross
bordered by arcs and coves. Chamfered Norman window with hood-mould to north.
Late C15 north chapel has 3-light window with panel tracery and head stops to
label-mould and 3-light cinquefoil-headed north window. 3-bay north aisle has
3-light cinqueloil-headed windows divided by offset buttresses, and 3-light west
window with panel tracery: crenellated parapet. South wall of nave has two
3-light windows of panel tracery and pointed chamfered doorway in south porch
which has part of Maltese cross in apex of gable; casement-moulded south
doorway, with mid C19 doors. Crenellated parapet. 3-stage west tower with string
courses: casement-moulded west door with foliate spandrels including Green Man;
2-centred Y-tracery window above; offset corner buttresses, and square
stair-turret adjoining north aisle; 2-light belfry windows; carved heads and
gargoyles carved on coved frieze beneath crenellated parapet. All late C15
hood-moulds over windows have fine head stops. Interior: late C12 pillar piscina
in front of aumbry. Late C15 archway to north chapel has slender shafts running
into casement moulding, and moulded capitals. Double-chamfered chancel arch with
moulded capitals. 3-bay north arcade with slender piers of similar moulding as
to north chapel arch; statue corbel with carved herald above squint to east.
similar C15 archway from north aisle to chapel, with C15 cinquefoiled and
ogee-headed chapel screen: mid C19 chancel screen has reset C15 traceried open
panels and rood by Gibbs and Moore c.1873. Candelabra by Sir Ninian Comper,
1935; plain polygonal pulpit with octagonal stem, presented 1712, stands next to
parish chest dated 1780. Late C15 octagonal font on simple panelled base; organ
case by Sebastian Comper; C15 plank door to west tower; other fittings and roofs
are late C19: 3 late C15 head corbels in north aisle. Memorials: late C17 and
early C18 ledger stones in north chapel. Brass to William Secoll (died 1557) in
nave. Important group of late C15 wall paintings: restored in 1872 by Burlison
and Grylls. Virgin under canopy on south chancel wall; St. Clement of Rome under
similar canopy at east end of north aisle, with stars on blue background around
adjoining window jamb. Complete Last Judgement scene over chancel arch and
adjacant nave walls. Unrestored paintings at west end of north aisle of the '7
deadly sins falling into the mouth of hell'. Repetitive floral patterns at east
end of nave are by Gibbs and Moore c.1888. Stained glass: east window by
O'Connor, 1871. East window of north chapel has fragments of C15 glass,
including quarries and border pieces, heads of Christ and the Virgin, Adam
Digging and hanging shields of arms. Yorkist sun badge or crown set in cusping
of north window of north chapel and middle window of north aisle. John Wesley
preached his first sermon here in 1725.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.769-770; Bodleian Library, M.S. Drawings
and M.S. Top., Oxon for C19 drawings; National Monuments Record; G. Moultrie,
Six Years at Southleigh, 1875, pp.6ff for history of restoration).

Listing NGR: SP3939909015

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529290

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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