Lychgates

[+T0SHEA]

With the spate of new category proposals, it made me think of a category I believe someone proposed eons ago.

 

Lychgates - (A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, lyke-gate or as two separate words lych gate, (from Old English lic, corpse) is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.)

 

Was this once proposed or am I dreaming once again (or should that be still)?

 

Keith

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

With the spate of new category proposals, it made me think of a category I believe someone proposed eons ago.

 

Lychgates - (A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, lyke-gate or as two separate words lych gate, (from Old English lic, corpse) is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.)

 

Was this once proposed or am I dreaming once again (or should that be still)?

 

Keith

 

I thought that category idea died for underprevalence and non-global reasons.

[+T0SHEA]

 

I thought that category idea died for underprevalence and non-global reasons.

 

The thread is HERE.

 

Seems so - oh well...

 

EDIT: Maybe not - non-global(ity?)(ness?)(ification?) was mentioned once by Rikitan. Most of the rest of the thread contained Q & A dealing with clarification of what a lychgate was and was not.

 

Our personal experience with lychgates is limited to parts of North America. They are somewhat common here, especially in relation to Anglican and Presbyterian churches, as I recall.

 

We also encountered one at a cemetery. It was used as cover for caskets to keep them out of the sun while a grave was being dug or before a funeral ceremony had begun.

 

Keith

Edited April 1, 2017 by BK-Hunters

[+Tuena]

I can think of three without really thinking. One I've waymarked as a war memorial. All are associated with Anglican churches. That's two hemispheres covered.

[+elyob]

Without success, I have been looking for one since the category was suggested two years ago.

[+Bear and Ragged]

I can think of three without really thinking. One I've waymarked as a war memorial. All are associated with Anglican churches. That's two hemispheres covered.

 

In the UK they are often repaired/replaced as a memorial, often to those who died in the war (First and Second World War) and sometimes the local Gentry/Lord etc...

[+fi67]

I did not expect to find any in my home country, but by chance I walked across a municipal cemetery of a very rural village with a very nice one. It looked quite new (less than 10 years). Maybe it's the only one all over the country, but one is better than none.

[+T0SHEA]

I can think of three without really thinking. That's two hemispheres covered.

 

"two hemispheres" - we've got the world covered, then.

 

I remember one in PEI that has become a citizen memorial. All the ones I can think of were associated with churches about 100 (or more) years old. There's one at the Anglican Cathedral in Spokane.

 

Keith

[+Torgut]

With the spate of new category proposals, it made me think of a category I believe someone proposed eons ago.

 

Lychgates - (A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, lyke-gate or as two separate words lych gate, (from Old English lic, corpse) is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.)

 

Was this once proposed or am I dreaming once again (or should that be still)?

 

Keith

 

I thought that category idea died for underprevalence and non-global reasons.

 

Definitely two good reasons for its death.

[+PISA-caching]

Argh. Yesterday I was walking through some areas of my hometown Vienna, looking for new waymarks and suddenly I saw this gate. I took some photos and remembered that I once read in the forums about gates like these. I didn't remember the name of them, but after a short research I found this thread. And now I have to read that this category will never come to life. Too bad.

[+prussel]

I remember, that I saw this one in Norway last summer (its the Høre Stavkyrkje, one of the famous stave curches):

 

[+PISA-caching]

Wow, looks great. Is that a year on the little "flag" on top of it?  If yes, you might post it in the Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious category.

[+T0SHEA]

Can't find a group for Lychgates, enough interest?

If so, we will start the group.

 

Keith

[+Tuena]

They appear to be present in all four hemispheres so meet the global criterion & all things being equal, will have my support.  

[+T0SHEA]

OK, we have support from Down Under, Norway, Austria, Switzerland and Canada (and known lychgates in the U.S.) and doubtless the U.K. (Veritas Vita et al, where are you when we need you?). A group has been created. Work on a category will begin in the next few days. We feel it's a worthwhile category, so we're gonna go ahead with it.

If you wish to join, let us know here, as enrollment is turned off for now.

Keith

[+fi67]

On 8/8/2018 at 1:56 PM, PISA-caching said:

Argh. Yesterday I was walking through some areas of my hometown Vienna, looking for new waymarks and suddenly I saw this gate. I took some photos and remembered that I once read in the forums about gates like these. I didn't remember the name of them, but after a short research I found this thread. And now I have to read that this category will never come to life. Too bad.

That gate looks great, but what is behind does not look like a cemetery to me. I think a cemetery is essential for a lychgate, isn't it?

[+PISA-caching]

2 hours ago, fi67 said:

That gate looks great, but what is behind does not look like a cemetery to me. I think a cemetery is essential for a lychgate, isn't it?

 

Today the area belongs to a senior citizens' home, but 100 years ago there was a movie company and before that there was a soccer club. Maybe there was a churchyard too, but so far I found no evidence for that. Anyway, it will depend on what the category description allows - traditional lychgates only or also lychgate-like gates.

[+T0SHEA]

5 hours ago, fi67 said:

That gate looks great, but what is behind does not look like a cemetery to me. I think a cemetery is essential for a lychgate, isn't it?

 

Unequivocally, NO. We have seen them both at cemeteries (1) and  at churches (several). I still have to research lychgates further, but a quick definition is that they were "formerly used during burials for sheltering a coffin until the clergyman's arrival". Such is, for the most part, no longer the case, as churches, at least in North America, have taken to building lychgates at the entrance to the churchyard as a decorative feature. We fully intend to include these as they seem to be the more common type today. To me, whether decorative or functional, each is a lychgate. Too, many either were built as memorials or became memorials later.

The lychgate seems to have been of British origin, originating in the 14th of 16th century, depending on the source, which seems to have followed English churches throughout the British Empire during the colonial era. To a much lesser extent, the concept appears to have taken hold on the continent, as well.

 

More contemporarily, many churches built lychgates in 2000 as millenium projects.

 

As for Andreas' lychgate, above, we likely need to have them tied to a church or a cemetery, either currently or historically. Otherwise we would have a category full of "lychgate-like gates". (OOPS, there goes any hope of Austrian support) 

Keith

[+PISA-caching]

2 hours ago, BK-Hunters said:

As for Andreas' lychgate, above, we likely need to have them tied to a church or a cemetery, either currently or historically. Otherwise we would have a category full of "lychgate-like gates". (OOPS, there goes any hope of Austrian support) 

Keith

 

No, I simply hope to find one in Scotland and everything will be fine. ;-)

[+T0SHEA]

8 hours ago, PISA-caching said:

 

No, I simply hope to find one in Scotland and everything will be fine. ;-)

 

Oh yea, Scotland. I expect lychgates are already on your ever growing list.

Keith

[+T0SHEA]

We had an inquiry about a lychgate yesterday, is there interest in continuing with this category?

[Bon Echo]

funny to see this come up as I just submitted a WM of a plaque on a lych-gate. I've seen 2 or 3 around in my travels this year in Canada.

 

 

EDIT: the fact that it was on a lych-gate was irrelevant to the WM I posted.

 

Edited December 19, 2018 by Bon Echo

[+T0SHEA]

I was asked just now - "Whatever happened to the Lychgate category"?

 

Well, after once again reading through this thread I feel that Lychgates are, indeed, worthy of a category. My feelings are that we need not restrict the category to truly authentic Lychgates but should include more contemporary Lychgate-like structures, provided they resemble their progenitors in style and location - IE that they be located as entrance gates to religious edifices or cemeteries.

 

Now is the time for your final comments, pro or con. I created a Lychgates group last year and will recommence creation of the category forthwith, then publish it here for your perusal.

Keith

EDIT: Here's the URL to the category writeup as it stands at present. We invite any and all comments, even severely negative ones, though possibly not negatively severe ones. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by BK-Hunters