St Peter with St Paul

Description

These two designs for lychgates show Lutyens’s invention when dealing with small structures. The Shere lychgate is square in plan, with pyramidal roof and lovely carved detail on the oak timbering inside. Kilmersdon’s plan is triangular. The relation between the triangle, the curve of the side walls and the circle of the paving worked into two concave steps held by the square entrance gives complexity to a very simple thing. Lutyens was obviously proud of himself, for he persuaded Hudson to photograph it and told Lady Emily (on August 28, 1901) that he had written an anonymous letter about it to Country Life ‘as from a passing cyclist’. The letter was not published. (Amery et al., 1981, cat no.125)

Lych-gate. 1900 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Hylton family. Coursed and squared rubble, freestone dressings, pyramidal stone tile roof, cruciform finial. A rural style, triangular on plan. Roof supported on 3 triangular section columns; to each side timber soffits; roof of elaborate arch-braced construction. Flanking quadrant walls with copings, incised Latin text. Pair of simple wooden gates to south side; piers with flanking stone benches. Lych-gate symbolizes the Trinity. Stone cobbles set in triangular pattern under Lych-gate. (Historic England, list entry 1058695)

Bibliography

Amery, C., Richardson, M. and Stamp, G. (1981) Lutyens, the Work of the English Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944): Hayward Gallery London, 18 November 1981-31 January 1982. London: Arts Council of Great Britain.

Historic England. LYCH GATE, FLANKING WALLS AND GATES ON NORTH SIDE OF CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL. [Online] Available from: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058695

Also Cited In

Foyle A & Pevsner N (2011) Somerset: North and Bristol. Buildings of England. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Listing Grade

II*

Listing Reference

1058695

Client

Lord Hylton