The church of St. James the Great is not to be missed. This little jewel, dating back to soon after the Norman Conquest, resides in its own world at the north west end of the village. Inside, its 14th and 15th century wall paintings are not to be missed. The tower houses a fine peal of eight bells, installed in 1907. They are rung regularly by local and visiting bands.
South Leigh was first mentioned in the late 12th century, by which time we had our own church, St. James the Great. The earliest parts of the church are late 12th century and a section of the east wall retains extraordinary medieval wall paintings.
John Wesley preached his first sermon here in September 1725, some 14 years before his Methodist Movement began.
Dylan Thomas, the poet, lived in South Leigh Manor House from 1947 to 1949 and probably wrote much of Under Milk Wood here.
Today, after a thousand or more years of habitation, the Parish of South Leigh and High Cogges is a thriving community of about 130 homes, including 21 listed buildings, and 330 people.
This tiny community lost twenty-one men in the two world wars and one in the Boer War. Their names are enshrined on oak plaques in the North door porch of the church of St. James the Great, and one is in the graveyard. Details of each man are solemnly recorded on this website and in the log book in the church.
They shall be remembered.