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Did you know that the lych gate at St George’s Church Beckenham is reputed to be the oldest in England and dates from the 13th Century? A lych gate with its little pitched roof adds a definite tone to a churchyard, but it was not originally for decoration – lych is from the Saxon word for corpse: bodies for burial would be brought in their shrouds to shelter beneath the gate’s roof, from which point the priest would take control of the rest of the funeral.

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Duke of Clarence Drowned in a Butt of Malmsey Wine - 1478, Pilgrim’s Progress Published - 1678, Churchill’s Maiden Speech - 1901, Antiques Roadshow 1st Broadcast - 1979, Fox Hunting Banned in the UK - 2005
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