Lych Gates

[Pedrocut]

First of a set of four lych gates sketched by George Beresford for the Birmingham Daily Post of March 1969. This one is Moseley Parish Church.



Present Google Earth...
https://earth.app.goo.gl/wHWGz

 

[Vivienne14]

Definition and purpose of a lych gate :

"A covered gate, usually at the entrance to a churchyard. The term lych evolved from the Saxon word for corpse, and the lych gate was traditionally a place where corpse bearers caried the body of a deceased person and laid it on a communal bier. The priest would then carry out the first part of a burial ceremony under the shelter of the lych gate roof. Lych gates are usually of wood, and thus subject to decay. For that reason many are fairly modern reconstructions of much older timber covered gateways. They are traditionally roofed with wooden or clay tiles, or thatch.

The large timber beams framing the gateway are often carved with decorative elements, or inscribed with the names of donors. There are frequently small bench seats on either side of the passage - very useful for sheltering from a rain shower! A number of churches erected, or re-erected, lych gates to mark the millennium in the year 2000". Source https://www.britainexpress.com/church-history.htm?term=Lych+Gate

 

[Lady Penelope]

Here's my contribution: the lych gate at St Michael's church, Boldmere. Its claim to fame is that it was built from timbers taken from the newly demolished Erdington Hall.

 

[oldMohawk]

Keith Berry took this photo of the Lych Gate at St Barnabas Church Erdington in 2006.

 

[Radiorails]

Edgbaston old church

 

[Pedrocut]

Here's my contribution: the lych gate at St Michael's church, Boldmere. Its claim to fame is that it was built from timbers taken from the newly demolished Erdington Hall.

September 1931

 

[oldMohawk]

A Lych Gate in Handsworth from an earlier post

from https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...our-old-street-pics.41947/page-92#post-569413

 

[Pedrocut]

April 1909, Handsworth Lych gate.

 

[Vivienne14]

A relatively modern lych gate (1930s) but the church, the wall and lych gate are all listed. St Agnes' Church in Colmore Crescent. Listing is below. Viv.



Historic England listing is here https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1343411

 

[Vivienne14]

Most seem to have had small gates attached to them but the ones through St Peter's lych gate in Harborne have been removed. Viv.

Image from the Shoothill site.

 

[Morturn]

Maybe not a Lych Gate as such, but an interesting piece of Victorian cemetery symbolism. Key Hill cemetery gates, the torches representing eternity and being upside down represents the end of life on earth.

Above the torches is a hooped snake (Ouroboros), the symbol of eternal life, no beginning and no end. The sense of something constantly re-creating itself

 

[Pedrocut]

Three more sketches from 1969 by George Beresford.

 

[Vivienne14]

In October 1922, the Kings Norton gate was unveiled as a war memorial. Viv.

 

[pjmburns]

Christ Church, School Road, Yardley Wood. The gate was erected in memory of the first vicar Alfred Clifton and dated 1880. Gate in good condition but the 2 stone plaques could do with a clean. If they are blurred it is because I had to dodge the traffic. Yellow lines all round as the church is next to a single carriageway bridge - not sure how they manage for weddings and funerals.

 

[ellbrown]

A few that I've seen over the years.

St Nicholas Church Kings Norton



St Mary's Acocks Green



St Laurence Church, Northfield



St Mary's Church, Moseley

 

[Phil]

Sorry not having a religious bone in my body, I can tell you nothing about these structure except that are part of a magnificent building and I do appreciate a good building no matter what it is used for.

The Lych Gate of St Peter & St Pauls Aston Parish Church

The Church and Lych Gate of Christchurch Yardley Wood.

 

[ellbrown]

Another look at the Lych Gate at Christ Church - School Road, Yardley Wood.

 

[Frothblower]

St Barnabus Erdington

 

[Vivienne14]

Lovely examples of these gates. Good to see they're still around. Thanks all. Keep em coming. Viv.

 

[ellbrown]

St Peter's Church in Harborne around Old Church Road, just found this one. Wasn't aware of it before!

Not far from Grove Park.

Was three lychgates, took two out of the three gates.

 

[superdad3]

The lych gate at St Agnes Church, Moseley was badly damaged last August during police pursuit. Repairs just completed on Friday. Phots attached of before, after damage & after repair. Great to see real craftsmen at work. A little bit of our heritage saved.

 

[mikejee]

Good. I would hope the perpetrators paid for the damage - but fat chance !

 

[Vivienne14]

This is a well kept, nice example at St Mary’s in Acocks Green. The postcard hardly shows it, but the roof is decorated with two crosses. Viv.

 

[brummy-lad]

There's only 1 cross on top of the gate, a quirk of street-view I'm afraid

 

[Vivienne14]

Well blow me down, it looks seamless from the other direction. Thanks brummy-lad ! Viv.

 

[brummy-lad]

Well blow me down, it looks seamless from the other direction. Thanks brummy-lad ! Viv.

Yes, when I first looked at it I thought the roof had been enlarged and a second cross added. I've seen distortion on street-view before but never as convincing as this.

 

[Vivienne14]

A couple of gates already mentioned, but these show the gates from much earlier times. Viv.

The Old Church Edgbaston (see post #5, although image has been lost)


St Peters in Harborne dated 1906 (re post #20)