TM5077 : Reydon village sign
taken 3 years ago, near to Reydon, Suffolk, England
Village signs are typically placed along the principal road or in a prominent location such as a village green or close by the church. The design often depicts a particularly 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.
Although they do appear in villages and towns all over the country they are more prominent in East Anglia than elsewhere in the country.
Suffolk has the second largest number of village signs in the UK currently estimated at over 375. Very much an East Anglian tradition the idea originally came from just over the border, at Sandringham in Norfolk when the future Edward VII commissioned signs for the estate. Then in 1920 the then Duke of York gave a speech at the Royal Academy promoting the wider use of village signs following which the Daily Mail ran a national competition. Subsequently villages across the country took up the challenge but the concept was grasped most keenly in the east.