Old Crosses and Lychgates

"Old Crosses and Lychgates" by Aymer Vallance is a journey into the heart of English and Welsh history, focusing on the stories told by ancient crosses and lychgates. Written in the shadow of World War I, Vallance's work goes back to a prior article on churchyard crosses and acts as a visual record of these time-honored structures, going over their evolution and importance. Vallance describes an England and Wales marked by loss, where memorials to the fallen are not just stones, but places where art and dignity meet. More than just a study of old stones, it's a call to protect the beauty of the past, holding up traditional craftsmanship as a meaningful response to the war era and a contrast to modern tastes.