Norman chancel arch in St Peter & St Paul's church, Oxton.
"Although neither a church nor priest is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, there is evidence of Norman stonework in the chancel and artefacts of possible Saxon origin within the church.
Built abutting the highway, the late 14th Century tower intrudes into the early 14th Century nave, reducing the original four bays to three and a half. There is a Norman chancel arch and doorway, but 19th Century restorations have left few original features. The south aisle is later and much wider than the north aisle. Most of the older box pews are 17th Century.
The nave roof was raised and a clerestory was added in the 1840-43 restoration. 1898-1900 works saw the north wall rebuilt and a new vestry and north porch added. In the 20th Century the tower was strengthened to allow six bells. The National Coal Board stabilised the structure following mining subsidence from Calverton coalmine. The 19th Century vestry was converted into a kitchen and disabled-access toilet facilities.
The east chancel window is a memorial to the dead of the Great War, 1914-18. There are several memorials and hatchments to members of the Sherbrooke family who were lords of the manor for some 400 years; also to Robert Scothorn, a Quaker, who sailed to America in 1684 to join William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania."
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"Oxton is stated to have been an ancient British burial place. Within its parish boundaries are to be found three, if not four, ancient camps, and three tumuli. One of the camps is acknowledged to be British, and in a good state of preservation.
Its church is most interesting, being more complete than most village churches, and possessing a chancel, nave, two aisles, with north and south arcades, and a tower. The south chancel wall with its doorway and three windows and chancel arch are held to be late Saxon work. A prebendary and rector of Oxton, in answering questions instituted by Henry VIII., stated that the prebend of Oxton was founded by Zeeb and King Edgar. It is supposed that Zeeb was King Edwy. If this be so then it would be before 958 A.D. If the prebend was founded then, it is a reasonable supposition to say that the church would be built about that date. In the new north wall the old Saxon doorway has been rebuilt.
Evidently once a Saxon tower completed the design of the old church. All this goes to show that originally a complete Saxon church stood on this site. The fact of there being no west door, but a north and south door, strongly confirms the above statement. The small doorway in the tower and the restored buttresses in the north wall will date back to 1250. The north and east windows in the chancel, the tower with its window, and the two arcades will date back to about 1325. Of the two arcades no pillar is perpendicular, and no arch is in plumb line, whilst the circumference of the north pillars differs from that of the south pillars. The first arch of the south arcade stands out from the east wall, whilst the corresponding one on the north arcade does not. At the west end the south arcade terminates with a half Gothic arch, whilst the north arcade terminates with half-round arch appearing like a Saxon or Norman arch."
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