Sign Language

From ornate metalwork symbolising industry and agriculture to cartoon-like carvings depicting gruesome folklore – Norfolk’s hundreds of village signs tell fascinating tales and one man is on a mission to discover them all

 

FROM OUR sprawling, bustling well known villages to the tiny, secret hamlets hidden away largely unheard of in the depths of the countryside – they all have their own histories, mysteries and tales to tell.

And there is one thing that symbolises these communities’ stories like no other, the humble village sign.

For the past six months, Andrew Tullett has embarked on his Signs of a Norfolk Summer project, covering hundreds of miles by foot, cycle and car to photograph, log and investigate the rich heritage and folklore of Norfolk’s fascinating village signs.

“Our village signs represent the largest free art exhibition in Norfolk and collectively the signs depict the history of almost all the settlements in the county. These are very local histories and many of the stories depicted are not described in any of the main historical texts written about Norfolk,” he says.

He set out on his quest to photograph every village and town sign in Norfolk – believed to number around 520 – during British Summer Time.