Overbury and Conderton War Memorial Lych-gate

The large and imposing lych-gate stands to the south of the Church of St Faith (Grade I-listed), marking the entrance to the churchyard from Church Row. It forms a striking entrance from the lower street level beside a stream and chimes with the church porch and south front behind. The lych-gate is in close proximity to a number of Grade II-listed structures in the churchyard and on Church Row. Built in the English vernacular style, it comprises heavy timber framing on a limestone ashlar base, aligned longitudinally over the churchyard entrance. The tall chamfered base, with short returns at each end, encloses a stone and timber bench on the outside of the eastern wall, facing the street. There is no similar bench on the western side, inside the churchyard, which is at a higher level than the street.

The stone tiled roof has swept overhanging eaves on shaped brackets. Arch-braced collar trusses form round-headed archways, with additional, smaller, upper collars. The dates 1914 – 1918 are carved into the south collar, facing the street, and attached to it is the carved figure of an angel holding a wreath and set in a niche formed by its folded wings. Attached to the north collar is a carved angel with outspread wings. The eastern and western sides of the lych-gate each have a pair of large rectangular open panels, with reversed ogee braces in the upper corners. There are similar braces supporting the outer faces of the main posts.

On the south side, six stone steps lead up from street-level into the gate, whilst inside the churchyard the platform extends beyond the lych-gate, ending in a paved semicircle. Centred inside the gate, raised on the paved platform, a large coffin rest in the form of a chest tomb bears some of the inscriptions. The broad coffin rest is like the empty tomb of a cenotaph.

Inscriptions carved into the timbers include GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH, PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARDS MEN and THROUGH THE GATE OF DEATH WE PASS TO OUR JOYFUL RESURRECTION. The principal dedicatory inscription to the south face of the coffin rest reads REMEMBER THE/ OVERBURY AND/ CONDERTON MEN/ WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR THAT/ HONOUR JUSTICE/ AND LOVE SHOULD/ RULE MANKIND/ SEE TO IT YE LIVING THAT YE HERE DEDICATE/ YOUR LIVES TO THE CAUSE FOR/ WHICH THEY DIED.

The north face of the coffin rest is carved with a quotation from William Blake’s poem ‘Jerusalem’, I WILL NOT CEASE/ FROM MENTAL FIGHT/ NOR SHALL MY SWORD/ SLEEP IN MY HAND/ TILL WE HAVE BUILT/ JERUSALEM/ IN ENGLANDS GREEN/ AND PLEASANT LAND. The commemorated names, with rank and regiment or unit, are incised into the east and west faces of the coffin rest. The names of those who died in the Second World War are recorded on a tablet in the lych-gate wall.