Fabulous Folklore with Icy5 Apr 2025

The Folklore of Lychgates and Popular Burial Monuments

You would absolutely know a lychgate if you saw one. They make popular backdrops for wedding photos, and provide a quaint air of rustic charm to country churchyards. They're the wooden or stone gateway, complete with tiled roof, that marks the entry into the churchyard. Not all churches have them, and they're far more common outside churches in the countryside than in suburban or city-centre churches. Yet they do have some folklore attached to them.

Let's take a look at what they were for and what beliefs they gave rise to. We'll also look at some popular burial markers you might see in churchyards or cemeteries to broaden our focus to the wider burials.

So let's have a look in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lychgates-and-burial-markers/

Fairies in Northumberland talk on 19 April: https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/talks

Conway Hall talk about folklore rebels on 26 April: https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/event/art-magic-lore-wild-talents/

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

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