Lychgate About 20 Yards South-West Of The Church Of St John The Baptist

SO 98 SW HAGLEY CP HAGLEY PARK

2/125 Lychgate about 20 yards south-west of the Church of St John the Baptist

GV II

Lychgate. Dated 1876 and built as a memorial to George William Lyttleton, fourth Lord Lyttleton. Timber-framed on tall chamfered sandstone ashlar base; plain tiled gableted roof with overhanging eaves on cusped and chamfered brackets. Arch-braced brattished tie-beams with quatrefoil tracery pierced in spandrels. Above tie-beams are two panels with 4-centred heads and with three cusped, pointed openings. A pair of gates are set beneath the west archway. The side elevations are of three cusped pointed lights; in the central light is set a cross on a stepped base and with the transverse arm intersecting with the flanking mullions. All the timbers are chamfered and there are inscriptions on the inner and outer faces of the tie-beams, braces and wall-plates. Within the lychgate there is a bench at each side. Above the benches are set stone plaques; on the north one is written: "ERECTED BY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ GEORGE WILLIAM 4TH BARON/ LYTTLETON 1876"; on the south one is written: "LET US THINK OFTEN OF DEATH/ NOT AS THE END OF OUR LIFE/ BUT AS AN EVENT IN OUR LIFE/ L/." The lychgate is a well-detailed example in a focal position in front of the Church of St John the Baptist (qv) facing the north-east elevation of Hagley hall (qv). Included for group value.

Listing NGR: SO9205280741