Lych Gate ~ Littlebredy Church.

The Church of St Michael and All Angels. Many churches have a lych gate built over the main entrance to the church. The name, also spelt lich or lytch, is from the Anglo Saxon 'lich' meaning corpse. The gate marks the division between consecrated and unconsecrated ground, where the bearers sheltered with the coffin, waiting for the clergyman to lead the procession before the burial. The original lych gates had seats and a lych cross.