AbstractA parallel, high‐order, overset‐grid method is validated for use in large eddy simulation (LES) through its application to fundamental turbulent flow problems. The current method employs a high‐order, compact finite‐difference approach to evaluate spatial derivatives, with up to tenth‐order low‐pass filters used to remove high‐frequency spurious wave content. These filters have also been found to be effective in modelling the dissipation that occurs at the unresolved scales in the flow for LES simulations. Temporal integration is based on an implicit, approximately factored and diagonalized, second‐order algorithm, which reduces the time‐step constraints present in explicit time‐marching methods for wall‐bounded viscous flows. Parallelization, geometric complexity, and local grid refinement are all addressed through the use of an overset‐grid approach, with grid communication provided by high‐order Lagrangian interpolation. The problems investigated in this work include fully turbulent channel flow at Reτ = 590 and 1017, and the transitional wake generated by flow over a single circular cylinder at ReD = 3900. The results obtained with the current approach are validated against well‐resolved benchmark calculations or experiments and the impact of the order‐of‐accuracy of the interpolation method is investigated. The benefits obtained by using the general overset‐grid technique to reduce grid point requirements compared to single‐grid simulations are also examined. It is shown that for the problems considered in this work, substantial grid‐point savings may be obtained with an overset‐grid approach compared to a single‐grid approach, and that the use of high‐order interpolation at overset boundaries is important in maintaining overall solution accuracy. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.