St Matthew's Church, Cobo

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The Lychgate - restoration

Lychgates are not that common - in the island of Guernsey there are only three. Vale, Forest and St Matthews (Cobo).

RESTORATION OF ST MATTHEWS LYCHGATE NEARS COMPLETION (July 2008)
 

A five week restoration of one of Guernsey’s three historic lychgates is nearing completion. Click here for photographs or here for slideshow
 
St Matthews’ Church’s lychgate, which was built at the same time as the church in 1854, had suffered with age and was in need of urgent repair.
 
The wooden structure, which sits on top of two granite bases, was removed at the beginning of June by JW Rihoy & Son who have worked with Lovell Ozanne & Partners Surveying Ltd, specialists in churches and conservation projects.  Since then qualified joiners from Rihoy & Son have been working to replace the rotten soft wood which formed the roof structure and have now re-incorporated a fleur de lys design into the apex.  The oak which formed the main part of the gate has been restored and once it has been moved back to St Matthew’s, the roof will be re-clad with natural slate to match the rest of the church. The granite walls have also been repointed.
 
‘The lychgate is such an integral part of the church but unfortunately, it had fallen victim to years of exposure to the elements and so we were approached to restore it. Rihoy & Son have worked on a number of historically valuable sites and so we are pleased to be able to use that expertise to restore this to its former glory.  It has been great for our joiner, Stuart Austin, to be able to work on something so special that will be enjoyed and appreciated by so many people over the next century,’ said Steve Moores, Surveying Manager for Rihoys.
 
Traditionally, lychgates stand at the entrance to a church and form the point where the clergy used to meet the coffin and where it rested while part of the service was read before burial. It also served as a shelter for the pall-bearers. Nowadays, lychgates are more commonly used as picturesque backdrops for wedding photographs.
 
People’s Warden at St Matthews Church, Pauline Mahy, is looking forward to seeing the restored gate, which is due to be replaced in the coming weeks.
 
‘Our lychgate is one of only three such gates on the Island so we see it as a fairly unique feature.  Unfortunately it was deteriorating to the point of being unsafe so we really needed to get it repaired before we lost it all together.  It will be wonderful to see the restoration work that has been done, and to get the gate back in position.’