Village Signs
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The village sign is a traditional emblem with origins dating back to the medieval village cross, which served as a landmark and a talisman to ward off evil. The 19th century saw the resurgence of carved wooden signs, or colourfully illustrated cast aluminium signs, linking places with symbols of local significance.

King Edward VII suggested having signs to focus the identity of the villages around the Royal Sandringham Estate. The idea was slowly taken up by other villages in the region. Wherever you go in Norfolk and Suffolk you will find village signs, usually carved and painted. Many of them record a famous person or event in the life of the village.

Cast aluminium - wrought iron frame
 

Cast aluminium signs


Cast aluminium signs are made of painted cast aluminium with a wrought iron frame. The sign basically comprises of a cast aluminium panel with illustration in low relief which is then hand painted with quality gloss enamels. This is set into a mild steel frame with wrought iron scrollwork, all is stove enamelled in black and mounted on an oiled finish oak post. All materials are selected for durability and finish to maximise weather-proofing qualities.

Metal Village Signs

If you prefer the whole sign could be made using traditional, age-old, hand forging techniques. Popular options can incorporate steel silhouetted panels.

Fernhurst is a wrought iron sign with a central panel, which is pierced 6mm steel plate, set in a wrought iron framework and mounted on an oak post.

  Wrouight iron sign with steel plate panel
Wrought iron/steel plate and aluminium sign   The Mendlesham sign is a
combination of wrought iron and pierced plate
together with three aluminium coloured panels.
 
The Fishbourne sign is a cast aluminium panel mounted inside an oak frame and mounted on an 4¾" oak t-bar post.   Village sign, cast aluminium panel in oak frame
 
REPAIR WORK
We also undertake repair work:
Restoration includes:
Slowly drying out the sign.
Completely stripping away all the old and flaking paint.
Repairing any rot with new timber wherever possible.
Simple repair of any carved figures where necessary.
Rectify horizontal surfaces where necessary to ameliorate water disposal.
Rectify with two coats of flexible micro porous undercoat followed with two coats of high quality gloss enamels.
All materials are selected for durability and finish to maximise weather proofing qualities.

before

Restoration undertaken

after

Carved Town sign

For more images of village signs that we have created/repaired/restored CLICK HERE