History

Neo-Perpendicular lychgate probably erected in 1908 at the time of a general restoration of the church. The churchyard walls are mostly C19 or early C20, though the section E of the Lychgate, and curving around to define the northern perimeter of the churchyard, is earlier.

Exterior

Large Perpendicular-style lychgate consisting of a pegged oak superstructure with shingle roof on a chamfered base of tooled limestone ashlar. The lychgate takes the form of two joined spere trusses with open framing and curved bracing to the sides. Single-bay plan with wide depressed arches to its main (N and S) faces. Each is hollow chamfered and has finely-carved Tudor rose and foliate bosses; blind tracery and foliate carving to the spandrels. Tie beams with crenellated brattishing and relief-carved Welsh (N) and English (S) inscriptions in Gothic lettering. The gables are open-framed and braced and have deep verges with moulded and cusped bargeboards. Moulded oak half-gates to the S (front) with carved post heads and curved top rails; simple decorative ironwork. There is a further, similar single gate to the L.

Adjoining the lychgate are the churchyard walls. These are of local limestone rubble and rise to a height of between 1.5m and 2m. The eastern stretch extends for some 30m before curving around to the N to continue as a revetment for a similar distance. Here there is a break with a flight of 6 modern concrete steps, giving access to the raised churchyard. Beyond this the wall continues northwards as a low rubble revetment. The main stretch of walling has irregular cock and hen copings; the northern stretch, beyond the steps has a mixture of cock and hen and slab copings; all is much overgrown. The stretch to the W of the lychgate is of random-coursed, rough-dressed rubble. The first few metres have triangular copings and curve convexly to terminate in a flat, shallow buttress. Beyond this the wall is of conventional type with neat cock and hen copings. This section extends for some 100m parallel with the road before turning a right-angle beyond an opening with plain square piers. At this point the wall continues northwards to define the western churchyard perimeter.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as a fine early C20 Perpendicular-style lychgate with associated rubble churchyard walls.

Group value with the Church of St Marcella.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500680

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)