ye olde ornamental village sign was invented in norfolk by edward the 7 #FAcT

I wondered this as when i was up north recently they don't seem to have them so i did some intense research over many seconds and "uncovered" this from out off of something called "wikipedia"...

"In many parts of southern 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 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 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. The prize fund exceeded £2,000 and ten awards were made. The winning schemes were exhibited at Australia House, London in October 1920"

Posted By: Tombs, Oct 4, 11:35:15