Somerset County Council are doing something remarkable: a major project to restore the county’s collection of picturesque signposts to their original glory, preserving them for generations to come. Somerset resident and fingerpost spotter JR offers a guided tour of some of the signs Somerset’s pioneering project has restored, and others still awaiting attention.
Somerset is a large, rural county in the south-west of England. You might know it as the place you pass through on the M5 or (even worse) the A303 to get to the seaside. It’s flat, rural, and quite isolated. For most people, the car is the main mode of transport as trains and buses are infrequent, and only serve the largest towns and villages. Some major towns such as Glastonbury (pop. 8,900), Chard (13,100), and Shepton Mallet (10,800) rely on the roads to be connected to the outside world.
The signage system used today derives from 1964's Worboys report, which aimed to update and modernise the old and patchy system that had developed piecemeal in the years since the turn of the century. Before then, rural counties such as Lincolnshire and Somerset erected fingerposts at almost every major junction between roads in order to tell motorists which roads led where and how far the distances were to major landmarks such as towns or villages.
Following the 1964 standardisation, most old-style signs of all shapes and sizes were ripped up and replaced. In major cities, almost none of the old signs remain. But out in the countryside, a lack of development over large areas meant that these signs might survive, unloved and uncared for. And with all old things, there comes a point where they become old enough that people start to see them not as redundant but instead as a heritage feature. This happened in Somerset: the old signposts, probably set up in the 1930s, survived to the point where people began to acknowledge them as a link to the past.
Somerset County Council have now started a programme that aims to try and restore as many of these historic signposts as possible. They are being lovingly repainted and repaired by dedicated volunteers (an excellent example of a restored one can be seen in Kingsbury Episcopi, below).
Over the summer of 2020, I began doing more walks in the countryside around my home. As my walks went on, I noticed and began photographing more and more of the signposts that I saw. What follows, therefore, is a photographic record of a small selection of the signposts dotted across South Somerset. There are hundreds more across the county - I’ve only explored on foot a tiny region of Somerset, but have seen many more whizz by from the window during a car journey. Also included are a couple of other interesting curiosities.
The photos are in alphabetical order of location, and were taken from July to September 2020, following all COVID-19 guidance at the time. Some have been slightly edited but all allow a brief glimpse at an interesting part of Somerset's history.
It's worth looking at the map on Somerset County Council’s website just to see how many of the things there actually are. You can also see how large areas, including the area where most of these photos were taken, simply haven't been surveyed. Nobody knows how many of these signposts there are in Somerset - but hopefully, now, as many as possible will survive for another 80 years.
We begin in Burrowbridge, famous for Burrow Mump, where King Alfred supposedly burnt the cakes before vanquishing the Vikings. This sign is missing its decorative cap but is otherwise in great condition.
Taken on the opposite side of the A361 from the last picture, this is a second well-preserved fingerpost. Crossing the A361 was not fun on foot!
In the wonderfully named village of Coat, this signpost peeks out from the trees. The obscured sign on the left reads 'Kingsbury 1'. This is an abbreviation, as 'Kingsbury Episcopi' doesn't fit on every signpost.
A slightly more folorn sign in Creech St. Michael, a village not far from the town of Taunton, and by a very pleasant stretch of riverside and canal.
On the road between Langport and Curry Rivel, this signpost is hidden by the trees. This is notable as it has the road number on it; surprisngly few do! All three arms here are reproductions, with two in modern “Transport” lettering.
In Huish Episcopi, a place very local to me, there are two very poorly-looking signposts in the shadow of the church. The dreary weather on the day this photo was taken doesn't help.
Badly in need of urgent repairs is this second sign at Huish Episcopi, where the distances have broken off! It's a shame to see some in this poor a state, but categorising, organising, and repairing all of them must be a logistical nightmare.
A few miles to the south in Kingsbury Episcopi, however, this one looks beautiful in the sunshine! Note here the stunning example of the pyramid on the top with 'SCC' written on it - Somerset County Council. A second well-preserved fingerpost is visible just behind it.
Langport is a small town at the heart of the levels. To the west of the town, this partly restored fingerpost has had replacement plates put in, and it just doesn't look the same.
The town of Martock is near the valley of the River Parrett, and the B3165 indicated here roughly runs along the valley for a short way between here and Long Load, near Langport. When originally installed the B-road number would have been in white on black, but the colours would have been reversed when repainted in the 1950s or 60s.
Martock also isn't far from Montacute, famous for the mansion Montacute house. This fingerpost has some flat-ended arms and others that are pointed, presumably all installed at different times.
The village of Moorland is also called Northmoor Green, so this can make signposts in and around the charming village in the middle of the levels (at around 5m above sea level!) quite contradictory. This one has an original post and finial, but the arms are later reproductions - written in modern “Transport” lettering, but still cast in metal in the traditional way.
While walking across Somerset, especially (and obviously) upon roads, these fingerposts are wonderful sights to see. Not only do they help you get your bearing but they also allow you to work out how far you've come and how far you have left to travel. This one could do with some restoration but is still doing its job.
Some SCC fingerposts have these odd black posts with 'Somerset' picked out in white letters. Note also the fact that this post points not to 'Moorland' but to 'Northmoor Green'. Confusing!
Oath is a tiny hamlet along a small road in the middle of basically nowhere, although it is notable that the River Parrett becomes tidal in Oath.
Here in the hamlet of Pitney, a modern signpost has been erected in the style of an old fingerpost, but it hasn't been done very convincingly. Its authenticity is not helped by the bicycle stickers.
Just north of Pitney though, there is a mostly-original signpost. One arm is missing. No idea what the 'Park' is though!
As this signpost suggests, the village of Ruishton is not far from Taunton or Creech St. Michael, and is a wonderfully tranquil place to be.
Somerton was the ancient capital of Wessex (at least, if the tourism board is to be believed), and has a glorious array of beautiful signposts. This one is not far from the town centre, and stands out with its zebra-paint from a distance.
At the other end of Somerton, this slightly less well-loved post is still standing strong outside that most staple of British takeaways. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on whether or not Tony's is any good. The right-hand arm, towards Glastonbury, is a modern reproduction that has inexplicably been produced using FHWA lettering, which is normally only found on American road signs.
South Petherton is located not far from Ilminster and its infamous A303 Ilminster Bypass, but here in the housing estates, this sign stands in wonderful tranquility. The quotes around "Hospital" are slightly concerning though - what exactly is going on in that building?
Just down the road from the previous sign is this oddity. The serif lettering seems to be original, as it’s painted upon raised letters like the others. It’s harder to read, but very picturesque.
Our final fingerpost is from Stathe, a beautiful example of what makes them so special. Even after goodness knows how many years, and even covered in rust and moss, the black lettering still stands out from quite a distance. Its finial has gone missing but it’s otherwise intact.
I've saved the best sign I've seen until last. Not far from Tony's fish and chips in Somerton is this beautifully preserved pre-Worboys direction sign. Taken with the camera flash on, just to prove that the reflectors still work (most of them, at least!), this sign not only looks good but still works in all weather conditions. What a beautiful surprise find!
Comments
A super, heart-warming article. I am a Yeovil lad whose paternal grandparents came from Drayton/Langport. In 1935 My father bought his first car, a 1935 Austin 10 and we went all around Somerset. Many of the pictures show 'old friends'. I remember in the late 60's when I was driving my first car, a 1954 Morris Traveller that many such signs still carried an arm pointing to a Railway Station....particularly at Hatch Beauchamp. I live abroad now but when I return and drive in Somerset, it gladdens my soul to see these signposts. Thank you
About time too. And yes, Tony's in Somerton is very good!
Great to read of this project in Somerset. The Milestone Society www.milestonesociety.co.uk has records of these lovely fingerposts as well as our main passion of Milestones. We look forward to this project getting underway to preserve and restore these lovely heritage artifacts.
Rob Westlake - Chairman. Milestone Society.
Rww@themilestonesociety.co.uk
Hmmmm...
This is good and interesting, but old news. The SCC project and the associated handbook were first published in 2017.
Much good work has however been being done locally; if you were to visit the parish of PILTON near Shepton Mallet, you would find all the fingerposts are regularly cleaned and painted when required (prior to COVID-19). Indeed Pilton Parish Council recently organised and paid for a sign that had been snapped off by a lorry, to be re-made entirely from scratch (NOT a cheap process!) and re-installed. The broken sign had been taken to the Somerset County Council highways depot for storage, and in spite of numerous requests for re-instatement over several years, it was eventually found to be 'missing'. Hence the Parish Council had to act on its own initiative...
I recently moved back to Somerset and now live by the corner where the first finger post is! I love seeing them when out walking.
Here is a nice one from close to where I am from and where its not very flat at all....
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8984924,-2.6732187,3a,82.6y,165.62h,90…
Presumably SCC will only be working and logging those in their current area. Just down the road from me is a lovely example in our village triangle. Unfortunately, we’re now under the auspices of North Somerset Council – a unitary authority created from the demise of the Avon county – who are too busy putting up street signs with the wrong name…
Kingston Seymour Triangle
I've had a great attachment to these fingerposts for many years. I would just like to add a couple of comments on this piece. Don't forget that there are many more former SCC fingerposts in the areas now under North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset Councils, both looking great and in need of some TLC. Secondly, Somerset is NOT flat!!
As a proud Somerset native I didn't realise that the Somerset fingerposts were basically an oddity in the modern world!
There are fingerposts around the countryside here in Suffolk too, but they don't quite feel the same.