Our Lych Gate .... and thieves in the night

Our newly restored Lych Gate is the victim of a bunch thieves who wander in the night.

Just now l recieved a call from David who was  visiting his sister here in Chorlton.

And while she was describing how this iconic part of Chorlton had been recently renovated and restored he noticed that Burglar Bill had taken some of the lead from the roof.

Our three City Councillors have been messaged and Cllr John Hacking and Cllr Mathew Benham  have reported it to the city council

Of course l can't be sure that these creepy crawly slidy creatures of the night ripped the lead in the dead of dark but its the sort of thing they do. 

Location; Our Lych Gate

Picture; our Lych Gate, 2024, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*The Lych Gate, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Lych%20Gate

Chorlton's own Lych Gate ... now on Manchester Road

 I'm a great admirer of Richard Griffiths' skills as a model maker.

And over the last brace of months he has been working on a representation of the Lych Gate which once was the entrance to the parish graveyard on the green.

The original dates from the jubilee of Queen Victoria, was a symbol of the Great Chorlton Church Schism, and has been recently restored by the City Council.

And Richard's model is a wonderful piece of work.

You can see the unveiling today at the Beer House on Manchester Road tonight  at 7.30 this evening.

So, a bit of history, a chance to talk to Richard and have some beer.

One to do.

Location; Manchester Road

Pictures; The Lych Gate, 2025, courtesy of Richard Griffiths

OK ….. Chorlton’s Lych Gate is officially reopened …..

Today on a crisp sunny day our Lych Gate was officially reopened.

Looking like new after its restoration, 2025

And I know that is a tad silly since it was built in 1887, and the scaffolding came down before Christmas after its renovation, but nevertheless today our three local councillors, along with friends of the Lych Gate and former graveyard gathered to mark the completion of the work of this much-loved local landmark.

Councillors and Friends mark the completion of the restoration work, 2025

The gate and tower have featured in countless photographs and even made an appearance on the cover of John Lloyd’s history of Chorlton-cum-Hardy.*

So, it was fitting that Cllr Gary Bridges, the Deputy Leader of the Council was in attendance with Cllr’s Mathew Benham, John Hacking and Tina Kirwin McGinley to mark the occasion.

Also present was Peter Topping who along with Andrew Simpson was instrumental in setting up the Friends of Chorlton Graveyard which works to raise awareness of the importance of the former parish graveyard.**

The graveyard had its own makeover in the mid-1980s and with the passage of four decades needs a little care and attention.

The former parish graveyard, 2025

The group are interested in how the area could be improved along with the more basic need of more regular clearing of fallen leaves which obscure the grave inscriptions.

But for now a thankyou to the City Council who restored the gate and tower and to our three councillors who oversaw the project.

Location; Chorlton Parish Graveyard

Pictures; celebrating Chorlton’s iconic Lych Gate, 2025, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*Lloyd, John, The Township of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 1972

**Friends of Chorlton Graveyard, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1381914932356270

Ok everyone …. the Lych Gate is open again

It’s that brick, stone and wooden tower which is one of the iconic images of where we live.

2024

So much so that many of us take it for granted and barely realized that after 137 years it needed some tender care and attention.

2024

It had been erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s jubilee, and was a bold statement of support for the old St Clement’s Church which dated from 1800 and stood on the site of an older wattle and daub chapel which had been built at the beginning of the sixteenth century.

Today it is perhaps surprising to discover that there had been a time when we had two churches which both went under the name of St Clement’s and that this had its roots in the  Great Chorlton Church schism, when the congregation split over where to build a new church.

The 1800 building was seen to be too small and various sites for a new one were explored, but with no agreement one wing went off, accepted the offer of a parcel of land on Edge Lane and built a new church.

But the authorities retained the old church as the place for baptisms, marriages and burials, and one of the wealthy members of the congregation donated money to enhance the old church.

This was Cunlifee Brooks who lived at Barlow Hall and his donations included money for a grand new east window and the impressive lych gate.

2024

In 1993 the gate had a make over which concentrated on the roof of the bell tower.

But earlier this year a more extensive renovation was undertaken by the City Council looking to use materials which were sympathetic to the original.

The work was finished last week, and the scaffolding came down revealing the structure pretty much as it would have looked like in 1887.

And over the last week and a bit heaps of people have gone down to the green and taken their own pictures to which I now add mine, along with one taken back in 1980 when it had yet to reach its hundredth birthday.

Since then it has stood over a series of archaelogical digs, and watched as more than 350 of the headstones from the graveyard were removed and the site landscapped.

Location; The Lych Gate

Pictures; the restored Lych Gate, 2024, and in 1980, from the collection of Andrew Simpson 

1980

 

A story of that iconic bit of Chorlton from 1993

It is just thirty-one years since our lychgate was last restored and I missed the anniversary back in April so here courtesy of Andrew Robertson and his collection of newspaper clippings is the story.

It always surprises people that the gate only dates back to the Queen Victoria's Jubilee but that said it has acted as a local land marks since 1887, and according to popular memory contained a bell which was rung to mark the end of the old year and the coming of the new.

That said you can’t believe everything you read in the newspaper.  The parish church closed in 1940 due to frost damage not 1930 and was demolished in 1949, while the gate was erected in 1887 not ten years later.

Still it is a nice piece of history and underlines the need to carefully collect those old newspaper accounts.

And in the next few weeks I shall be returning to this iconic image of Chorlton with some more stories, a new painting and tales of parish jealousies and disputes.

Picture; courtesy of Andrew Robertson, South Manchester Reporter, April 1993

Saving that bit of Chorlton’s history for another century and a bit …..

For many the Lych Gate on the village green is one of the iconic images of where we live.

Meeting at the Lych Gate, circa 1900

It has stood at the entrance to the old parish burial graveyard since 1887 and was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.

And long after the parish church was abandoned and demolished and most of the gravestones carted away it stood as a reminder that this was the spot where most of Chorlton were baptised, married, and finally buried stretching back into the 17th century.

But this listed building is now in need of some tender care and attention.

It last had a make over in 1993 when the bell tower “was repaired with specialist Victorian tiles from Staffordshire”. *

Repairing the Gate, 1993

The need to revisit the building was raised by Andrew Simpson and Peter Topping earlier in the year as part of a bigger initiative to restore the former parish graveyard.

The Gate and the green, 1981

Suggestions included relocating the remaining gravestones, creating a ramp at the southern entrance, and a series of story boards which would explain the history and significance of the site.

Central to the plan would be the establishment of a Friend’s group of volunteers who would adopt the graveyard, and in partnership with the City Council look to maintain the place and look to its future.

To this end Andrew and Peter contacted Cllr Mathew Benham who organised several meetings with Neighbourhood Services and the plan for the Friend’s group is advancing.

And last week Cllr Benham alerted us to the exciting news that there is an application in for “fabric repairs and redecoration of the Lych Gate and boundary wall”.**

The Lych Gate, 1980

The application from the City Council to do the work was submitted in May and is now out for consultation, and you can see the plans in detail by following the link below.

There will be many who will greet the news with great pleasure.

Some, because the Lych Gate is a special part of  Chorlton while for many others it will be the memories of hearing the bell at New Year or from illicit games in the tower. 

Through the gate and into the graveyard, 2022

And for those who would like to know more about the history of the graveyard, the church and the lychgate, I shall suggest the book by Andrew and Peter, The Lych Gate and Grave Situations beyond, from that popular series nothing to do in chorlton, available from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk and Chorlton Book shop, and The Story  of Chorlton-cum-Hardy,  Andrew Simpson.

So that is it for now.

Other than to say the report of the 1990s repairs needs a tad correction, because the gate dates from 1887 not 1897 and the church was demolished in 1949 not 1930.

Location; Chorlton Green

Pictures; The Lych Gate, circa, 1900 from the Lloyd Collection, Target Tower Repairs, South Manchester Express and Advertiser, 1993, and pictures of the Rec, 1980, 1981, and 20023 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*Target Tower Repairs, South Manchester Express Advertiser, April 8, 1993

**Listed building consent for fabric repairs and redecoration of the Lych Gate and boundary walls, 136990/LO/2023, Manchester City Council Planning Portal, https://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RURB6TBCJOG00