Great Bradley Village Sign
The current village sign was erected at the start of 2010. It was manufactured by H Signs of Mildenhall and the design is the one which got the most votes at the special village meeting held in January 2009
The sign is designed to have a long life and be low maintenance. It has been made with a CAD driven moulding machine from moulded glass fibre resin which is hand painted with high quality acrylics and then protected with a UV stable clear lacquer. It is anticipated that the sign should last for 30 years or more and need re-lacquering every ten years or so.
It was sad to see the old sign go of course, it's quietly been kept going over the years by several people who have mended and repainted it with loving care our thanks to them all.
Some people will regret the fact that the new sign, although very pretty, does not reflect some of the imagery and history of the old sign: All it has are the Fox, Church & Oak. Any village could have that. Gone are the of the Roman coin, the Norman Arch, the Prince's feathers, Windmill and St John's College Coat of Arms.See below for their significance.
The sign is designed to have a long life and be low maintenance. It has been made with a CAD driven moulding machine from moulded glass fibre resin which is hand painted with high quality acrylics and then protected with a UV stable clear lacquer. It is anticipated that the sign should last for 30 years or more and need re-lacquering every ten years or so.
It was sad to see the old sign go of course, it's quietly been kept going over the years by several people who have mended and repainted it with loving care our thanks to them all.
Some people will regret the fact that the new sign, although very pretty, does not reflect some of the imagery and history of the old sign: All it has are the Fox, Church & Oak. Any village could have that. Gone are the of the Roman coin, the Norman Arch, the Prince's feathers, Windmill and St John's College Coat of Arms.See below for their significance.
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King Edward VII had the original idea for village signs. To encourage appreciation of and interest in local villages, he suggested the inhabitants should erect village signs, and this was continued by his son George V and grandson George VI. The first signs were erected in the villages on the Sandringham estate and were made in what is now known as the Queen's Carving School. East Anglia has more of these type of signs than anywhere in the UK. For more information see the Village Sign Society web site.
The former sign depicted much more than the current sign. It had on it a:
- A windmill (which existed in the village until 1949 opposite Mill House on the entrance to the village on the Newmarket side). See here for more The Windmill
- An ancient oak tree (at Fox Green end of Evergreen Lane - it was pollarded just before the sign was made. It is believed to date from 1200s).
- A fox (Fox Farm was located in the centre of the village. See here for more on Fox Farm
- The Church and its much treasured Norman arch. See here for more on the Norman architecture
- HRH The Prince of Wales' feathers
- St John's College: Coat of arms of (for centuries, extensive landowners in the village).
- A Roman coin (found locally by Cyril Potter on land owned by the manor and now deposited with a local museum).
Planning Permission was granted in 1982. The sign was originally planned to stand outside the village hall but, finally, it was decided that a more appropriate site was the current one, which has since become known as the village garden. The detail of the design was developed by the Parish Council from an original idea submitted by Mrs. Wendy Mansfield, who unveiled the sign at the official ceremony. It was carved and constructed by Mr. P. Worwicker of Stansted, and painted by Mr. D. Chaplin of Horringer. It has been restored a number of times since then, and is considered to be one of the finest in the area.
The pictures below show the installation and unveiling by Wendy Mansfield, designer of the original village sign, and the tea party in the village hall afterwards. Click on the pictures to get a bigger image.
The former sign depicted much more than the current sign. It had on it a:
- A windmill (which existed in the village until 1949 opposite Mill House on the entrance to the village on the Newmarket side). See here for more The Windmill
- An ancient oak tree (at Fox Green end of Evergreen Lane - it was pollarded just before the sign was made. It is believed to date from 1200s).
- A fox (Fox Farm was located in the centre of the village. See here for more on Fox Farm
- The Church and its much treasured Norman arch. See here for more on the Norman architecture
- HRH The Prince of Wales' feathers
- St John's College: Coat of arms of (for centuries, extensive landowners in the village).
- A Roman coin (found locally by Cyril Potter on land owned by the manor and now deposited with a local museum).
Planning Permission was granted in 1982. The sign was originally planned to stand outside the village hall but, finally, it was decided that a more appropriate site was the current one, which has since become known as the village garden. The detail of the design was developed by the Parish Council from an original idea submitted by Mrs. Wendy Mansfield, who unveiled the sign at the official ceremony. It was carved and constructed by Mr. P. Worwicker of Stansted, and painted by Mr. D. Chaplin of Horringer. It has been restored a number of times since then, and is considered to be one of the finest in the area.
The pictures below show the installation and unveiling by Wendy Mansfield, designer of the original village sign, and the tea party in the village hall afterwards. Click on the pictures to get a bigger image.
Unveiling the First Village Sign
Detail of first village sign showing depiction of Roman coin from Constantine I era (AD 306 - 337) and St John's College Coat of arms
erecting the Second Village Sign after Restoration
The Millennium Oak
The Millennium Oak was planted on the 8th January 2000 in the corner of Orchard field just to the west of the Garden. Mr Stephen Ryder, assisted by members of the Parish Council, planted the oak at a ceremony attended by 28 villagers. This was followed by tea and Millennium cake at Crown House (the Village Hall was being refurbished).
In 2006 a stone commemorating the planting was carved and erected by Ernie Pigden
Seating
The seat, inscribed "Elizabeth 1953", was donated by Mr. Dalrymple, who lived at East Green, to commemorate the Queen's Coronation in 1952. It was originally sited in what was the W.I. garden at the corner of Evergreen Lane, but was moved to the village garden area when the sign was first erected.
In 2006 a stone commemorating the planting was carved and erected by Ernie Pigden
Seating
The seat, inscribed "Elizabeth 1953", was donated by Mr. Dalrymple, who lived at East Green, to commemorate the Queen's Coronation in 1952. It was originally sited in what was the W.I. garden at the corner of Evergreen Lane, but was moved to the village garden area when the sign was first erected.
The Millennium Oak in 2008
