A historic lychgate
The Lychgate, St Augustine’s Church, Waimate.
A couple of weeks back I did a column on the beautiful St Augustine’s Church in Waimate. I took a shot of the lychgate and thought I’d do a column specifically on them as their history is pretty interesting in their own right.
Lychgates were constructed in churchyard gateways from about the middle of the 16th century. It was a requirement of the 1549 Prayer Book that when someone was to be buried the priest should ‘‘meet the corpse at the church style’’ for the initial part of the service, and the provision of shelters for that purpose was encouraged. (The word lych is Saxon for corpse.) It also provided a place where the bearers of the corpse might rest it if they had been carrying it for some distance and had to wait for the arrival of the clergy.
A lychgate is a covered open structure at the churchyard entrance. Usually four or six posts are embedded in the ground to create a square or rectangle, with beams forming a steeply sloping roof of shingles or tiles. Their original use ceased as roads improved and coffins became commonly used, cutting down on the need for the bearers to rest. By this time lychgates had become a feature of churches and were seen as attractive and decorative additions.
They were popular with 19th century church designers and many Anglican parishes in New Zealand opted to build them as aspects of their home traditions. This particular one was designed by the prominent Arts and Crafts architect Samuel Hurst Seager, from Christchurch. He is respected in particular for the fine houses he designed, as well as his diverse work in other fields. He had designed a number of churches but this is his only known lychgate and as such enjoys a Category 2 listing with the Historic Places Trust.
Funds for this lovely example in Waimate were donated by Effie Studholme in 1902, in memory of her husband, Michael Studholme, and two sons. On the wall inside the gate is a copper plate engraved with a remembrance dedication.
If you are passing some time, call by for a look.