Editing Village sign

{{short description|Term in England for a sign at the entrance to a town or village}}
{{distinguish|village sign language}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
[[File:Biddenden Maids Village Green - geograph.org.uk - 221908.jpg|thumb|right|[[Biddenden]] village sign in [[Kent]] of the two maids of Biddenden]]
[[File:Old Hunstanton Village Sign.jpg|thumb|[[Old Hunstanton]] village sign in [[Norfolk]]]] 

In many parts of [[England]], an ornamental '''village sign''' is erected to announce the village name to those entering the village. They are typically placed on the principal road entrance or in a prominent location such as a [[village green]]. The design often depicts a particularly characteristic feature of the village or a scene from its history, heritage, or culture. They are typically made of [[wood]] or metal or a combination of both, the designs are often made by the local community.

Ornamental timber and iron signs were common historically to identify buildings of importance such as inns or town halls. However, the tradition of village signs is believed to have started in [[Norfolk]] early in the 20th century when [[King Edward VII|Edward VII]] suggested that village signs would aid motorists and give a feature of interest on the [[Sandringham Estate]].

The spread of interest beyond Norfolk can be attributed to [[Prince Albert, Duke of York]] (later George VI) who gave a speech to the [[Royal Academy]] in 1920 promoting the wider use of village signs. This prompted the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' to run a nationwide village sign competition.<ref>[[Building (magazine)|''The Builder'' magazine]], 7 May 1920, p 542</ref> The prize fund exceeded £2,000 and ten awards were made. The winning schemes were exhibited at [[Australia House, London]] in October 1920.<ref>''The Builder'', 22 October 1920, p 455</ref>

The village sign at [[Biddenden]], Kent, featuring the two [[Biddenden Maids]], was one of the successful ''Daily Mail'' competition entries. So too was the sign at [[Bromley]], Kent.

Many signs commemorate significant events such as the [[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II]] in 1953, the passing of [[Millennium]] or local celebrations such as the centenary of the formation of local councils.

In some places village signs have been surveyed and recorded. In Kent, signs erected in more than half of the county villages have been identified.<ref>Alan Bignell Books, Kent Village Signs (Book 1 and Book2), {{ISBN|978-0-9542950-4-2}}</ref>

In 1929, Harry Carter, an art and woodwork master at [[The Nicholas Hamond Academy|Hamond's Grammar School]] in [[Swaffham]], carved a sign for his home town. By the time of his death in 1983 he had carved over 200 town and village signs.

While the practice is now widespread, decorative village signs are still common in Norfolk and in the neighbouring county of [[Suffolk]] as well as [[Essex]] and other [[East Anglia]]n counties. Some village signs take the form of [[sculpture]]s, such as the sign at [[Capel St Andrew]] in Suffolk, which is constructed from scrap metal.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Sandling village sign - geograph.org.uk - 101692.jpg|[[Sandling, Maidstone|Sandling]], Kent <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/101692|title = Geograph:: Sandling village sign © Penny Mayes cc-by-sa/2.0}}</ref>
Image:Beeston Regis village sign.jpg|[[Beeston Regis]], Norfolk<ref name=osexp252>Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. {{ISBN|0-319-21888-0}}.</ref>
Image:Weybourne Village sign.jpg|[[Weybourne, Norfolk|Weybourne]], Norfolk<ref name="osexp252"/>
Image:East Runton village sign.jpg|[[East Runton]], Norfolk<ref name="osexp252"/>
Image:High Kelling 22nd October 2007 (1).JPG|[[High Kelling]], Norfolk<ref name="osexp252"/>
Image:Northrepps Village Sign 23rd Oct 2007.JPG|[[Northrepps]], Norfolk<ref name="osexp252"/>
Image:Overstrand Village Sign 23rd Oct 2007 (2).JPG|[[Overstrand]], Norfolk<ref name="osexp252"/>
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:West Runton 4 Dec 2006 (3).JPG|[[West Runton]], Norfolk -->
Image:Gresham Village Sign 25th October 2007.JPG|[[Gresham, Norfolk|Gresham]], Norfolk
Image:Felbrigg Village Sign 25th Oct 2007 (2).JPG|[[Felbrigg]], Norfolk
Image:West Beckham Village Sign.JPG|[[West Beckham]], Norfolk
Image:Hempstead Village Sign October 25th 2007 (1).JPG|[[Hempstead,near Holt, Norfolk|Hempstead]], Norfolk
Image:Spratton Village sign (3).JPG|[[Spratton]] in [[Northamptonshire]]
Image:Horsham St Faiths Village Sign 2nd November 2007 (1).JPG|[[Horsham St Faith]], Norfolk
Image:Gayton Village Sign.png|[[Gayton, Norfolk|Gayton]], West Norfolk
Image:Gimingham Village Sign 10 Nov 2007 (3).JPG|[[Gimingham]], Norfolk
Image:Sustead Village sign 10 Nov 2007.JPG|[[Sustead]], Norfolk
Image:Trunch Village sign 10 Nov 2007 (2).JPG|[[Trunch]], Norfolk
Image:Sprowstonsign.JPG|[[Sprowston]], Norfolk
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:200px-EAST HARLINGsign.jpg|[[East Harling]], Norfolk -->
Image:Corton village sign.jpg|[[Corton, Suffolk|Corton,Suffolk]]
Image:Little Bentley TM1125 263.jpg|[[Little Bentley]], [[Essex]]
Image:Sanderstead TQ3461 293.jpg|[[Sanderstead]], [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]]
Image:Leaves Green 008.jpg|[[Leaves Green]], [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]]
Image:Lower Southrepps Village sign 1st September 2008 (9).JPG|[[Southrepps|Lower Southrepps]], [[Norfolk]]
Image:Backwell-stone.jpg|[[Backwell]] village sign in [[Somerset]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.villagesignsociety.org.uk/ Village Sign Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051030104713/http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/signs/ Village signs on NorfolkCoast.co.uk]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050903105809/http://www.norfolk-villagesigns.co.uk/ Norfolk Village Signs]
*[https://www.suffolkvillagesigns.co.uk/ Suffolk Village Signs]
*[https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Kent-Village-Signs Geograph article and photo-record of the Village Signs in Kent]
*[http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/UEL/BR018.htm]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Commons|Village sign}}
{{Commons category|Village signs in England}}
{{Commons category|Signs of municipalities}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Village Sign}}
[[Category:Culture of England]]
[[Category:Street furniture]]
[[Category:History of Norfolk]]