The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
Oxfordshire (medieval)
Parish church
The church of St Mary in North Leigh is situated 3 miles NE of Witney. There is a late Saxon tower that was originally central and its W wall shows the blocked round-headed arch and big imposts of the former nave arch, as well as the steep roof lines of both chancel and nave to E and W, thus providing evidence of a substantial pre-Conquest church. It now comprises a chancel with a S vestry, a nave with a S aisle and a S porch, two N chapels dating from the C15th and C17th, and an integral W tower. The early nave was abandoned in or before the late C12th when an aisled nave of two bays was built E of the tower. The chancel was not added until about 1280, its length now exceeding that of the nave. In the C14th, the aisles were extended westwards so that they flanked the tower to S and N, with pointed arches breaching its walls. The church is now best known for the high quality C15th fan vaulting of the Wilcote Chantry Chapel.
The tower retains its original bell openings on all faces, and round-headed windows on S and N faces. On the interior of the tower, the imposts of the former nave arch are again visible on the W wall, as well as arches elsewhere indicating other round-headed openings. Transitional nave arcades to S and N are of two bays, each with pointed arches and a central round Romanesque pier with decorated capitals. There is also an earlier Romanesque doorway that has been reset in the S aisle. There was also once a font (see Comments).