War Memorial Lychgate At St Michael And All Angels Church

LEAFIELD

1292/0/10002 Leafield War Memorial Lychgate at St M 10-AUG-06 ichael and All Angels Church

GV II War memorial lychgate, erected at the entrance to the churchyard of St. Michael and All Angels' Parish Church (listed grade II*) after the First World War to honour the men of Leafield who served and died during the conflict. Also bears the names of Second-War dead.

MATERIALS: Limestone side walls, Cotswold stone tile roof, timber (presumably oak) gate, gatepost, and heavy scissor braces.

EXTERIOR: The lychgate comprises an outer structure of limestone side walls supporting a pitched roof (gable to the front) of Cotswold stone tiles beneath which are decorative barge boards. The broad, single, gate, with heavy iron strapwork, has a substantial gate post to either side. These are set out from heavy, decorative, scissor-braces which are set into heavy base-plates. These themselves are set slightly inside, and braced against, the stone side walls. Broad planking occupies the upper parts of the gables to front and rear. On the front face is inscribed IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE / MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO LAID / DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR followed by twenty names. Beneath this is inscribed 1939-45 accompanied by ten names.

HISTORY: Leafield's churchyard lychgate was erected after the First World War, probably in the 1920s, to honour the village's war dead. The names of those who died in the Second World War were added later.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: War memorials erected by communities to honour their war dead are generally considered of special interest because of their very strong historic and cultural significance, both on a local and a national scale. The lychgate is also of architectural interest as a well-crafted 1920s structure which complements the two already listed structures, the village church and the village cross. As a poignant reminder of the sacrifice of a small community in the wars of first half of the C20 and for this architectural interest and group value, Leafield's lychgate war memorial is listed at grade II.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 11 January 2017.