Lychgate, St Helen's Church
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Lychgate, St Helen's Church by Maigheach-gheal as part of the Geograph project.
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Lychgate, St Helen's Church
Image: © Maigheach-gheal Taken: 4 Oct 2010
Many churches have a lych gate built over the main entrance to the enclosed area round the church. The name, also spelt lich or lytch, is from the Anglo Saxon 'lich' meaning corpse. The gate marks the division between consecrated and unconsecrated ground, where the bearers sheltered with the coffin, waiting for the clergyman to lead the procession before the burial. The original lych gates had seats, a lych cross and a lych stone - a slab on which the coffin rested.
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Image Location
Latitude
54.323301
Longitude
-1.487837
