Church Of St Leonard

WATLINGTON SU6894 6/115 Church of St. Leonard 18/07/63

GV II*

Church. C12 and C14, much rebuilt by H.J. Tollit and E. Dolby in 1877: C15 west tower. Flint rubble with limestone ashlar quoins, dressings and bands: north aisle of coursed and dressed limestone rubble; limestone ashlar tower. Late C19 tile roof with decorative ridge tiles. Chancel, north transept, aisled nave, south porch and west tower. Corner buttresses with gablets flank early C14 Reticulated east window with C19 mullions. South-east aisle has 2 Decorated-style windows and one C15 window of 4 lights with central colonette. North-east aisle has early C14 Decorated window. North transept has tall 2-light window. Nave has north aisle with 2-light trefoil-headed windows, and south aisle with C15 style ogee-headed windows, offset buttresses and gargoyles, and C14 two-light west window: pointed chamfered doorway to south porch, moulded pointed doorway to C19 double doors. C15 west tower has offset corner buttresses, pointed moulded doorway to late C19 double doors with 3-light Perpendicular window over; 2- and one-light windows; moulded string course and cornice, embattled parapet; stair turret to north-east corner. Interior: reredos with elaborate gilt tracery by C.E. Kempe. Capitals with volutes and part of a cable-moulded shaft west end of south aisle, and south wall of chancel which also has C13 carved head. C12 arch and diapered tympanum in vestry (removed from north wall of nave). Two C15 arches to south chapel have shafted responds and central pier with capitals. South chapel has brass chandelier (purchased 1778), C18 chest and wall tablet, wall tablet to William Buckland, d.1597, and Harding family slab in floor dated l691. Nave has brass to Jerem Ewes, d.1587, in south-east corner, late C19 brass lectern, octagonal marble font with cover of 1897 and wood pulpit of 1874; late C19 roof. C14 four-bay arcade, with double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers, to south aisle which has C14 tomb recess. Stained glass: east window, south chapel windows (1887), west window (1896), and 3 south aisle windows (1902) are by Kempe; north window of 'St. Paul in Athens' by Atkinson of Newcastle.(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.829-30; V.C.H.: Oxfordshire, Vol.VIII, p.241).

Listing NGR: SU6848694757