War Memorial Lych Gate, Church of St Andrew, Gatton Park, Gatton, Reigate Hill, Surrey

Entry Name: War Memorial Lych Gate, Church of St Andrew, Gatton Park, Gatton

Listing Date: 18 September 2018

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1458973

ID on this website: 101458973

Location: Gatton, Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, RH2

County: Surrey

District: Reigate and Banstead

Electoral Ward/Division: Reigate Hill

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Traditional County: Surrey

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Surrey

Tagged with: War memorial Lychgate

Summary

First World War memorial lych gate, unveiled in 1921.

Description

War memorial lych gate, unveiled in 1921.

MATERIALS: timber lych gate, with stone plinths and flanking walls and a slate roof.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a timber lych gate which stands on stone plinths, located on each side of the entrance. The lych gate has a steep gabled, slate roof, with oversailing eaves and sculpted bargeboards. The pegged frame consists of a principal post standing on each plinth, with upward braces to the roof plate on the north and south sides, and downward bracing to the sole plate on three sides.

There are four-centred arches over the walkway. Above there is an elaborate timber-framed superstructure, which is heavily braced, with some of the braces shaped. The dentilled collar of the north elevation has a timber cross. The exterior of the arch in the north elevation is inscribed with 1914-1918. The western side of the interior has the inscription of the names of the five individuals from the parish that lost their lives. The eastern side of the interior has the following inscription:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN THE MEMORY OF THE/ GALLANT MEN OF GATTON WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1918.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 5 October 2021 to correct the name and address

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever, with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus for the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised in the form of a lych gate at the Church of St Andrew, Gatton Park, Gatton, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Designed by WP Forsyth, the lych gate was unveiled in 1921.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial lych gate at the Church of St Andrew, Gatton Park, Gatton is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a churchyard lych gate.

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.

Group value:

* with the adjacent Grade I-listed Church of St Andrew;

* located within the Grade II-registered park and garden of Lower Gatton Park.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.