Church Lychgate Cadbury Devon
by Richard Brookes
Title
Church Lychgate Cadbury Devon
Artist
Richard Brookes
Medium
Photograph
Description
A lovely old lychgate at the pretty rural church of St Michael and All Angels at Cadbury in Devon, SW England, UK.
According to various online sources:
The official listing for this quaint building has more architectural details. It states that "the GV II Lychgate probably dates to 1857 by William White, contemporary with White's restoration of the Church. Volcanic trap and freestone walls support a gabled slate roof on open timber ends. The walls support chamfered stopped posts with moulded braces. The roof is slated with decoratively shaped slates, the ridge tiles are ornamentally pierced and the ridge is crowned with a wrought iron cross. Curly bargeboards to the gable ends with a blind quatrefoil at the apex of each gable. "
Lychgates were traditionally used as shelter for a coffin until the clergy were present and often had stone seats and a lych stone for the dead. The word Lych is Old English for corpse. In the Middle Ages, before mortuaries, and at a time when most people died at home, the dead were placed on a bier and taken to the lychgate where they remained, often attended by vigil watchers, against bodysnatchers, until the funeral service, probably a day or two later. Bodies at that time were buried in just shrouds rather than coffins. At the funeral, the priest conducted the first part of the service under the shelter of the lychgate.
Uploaded
May 19th, 2023
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