A lychgate (lichgate, lycugate, or lych gate) comes from the Old English or Saxon word lic for corpse. It is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a churchyard.
In the Middle Ages when most people were buried in just Shrouds rather than coffins, the dead were carried to the lych gate and placed on a bier (a stand), where the priest conducted the first part of the funeral service under its temporary shelter.
Lychgates consist of a roofed porch-like structure over a gate, often built of wood. They usually consist of four or six upright wooden posts in a rectangular shape. On top of this are a number of beams to hold a pitched roof covered in thatch or wooden or clay tiles. They can have decorative carvings and in later times were erected as memorials. They sometimes have recessed seats on either side of the gate itself. The most common form of lych gate is a simple shed composed of a roof with two gabled ends, covered with tiles or thatch.
Most were built from around the mid 15th century although some date from earlier. This church, St Michael’s and All Angels was consecrated in 1883.
In England it is traditional in some areas for children to close the gates to the bride and groom after their wedding and only open them on payment!
Permission has been granted by the Select Vestry Committee to place a geocache at the location.