This Millenium sign seems to show a collection of villagers, with the church in the background. The sign is apparently a copy of an earlier sign, the original wood carving of which is displayed in the village hall.
By the time the Domesday Book was completed (1086), the small community of Aston (known then as Estone), was made up of about twenty-five families and included a priest. So it seems that there was a church at that time and it was almost certainly on the site of the present Aston St Mary’s, which was dedicated in 1505. Prior to this, in 1430 and 1490 Aston Church was referred to as “St. James”.
St. Mary’s Church stands on high ground to the West of the village. The original roof was thatched and the ridge marks of this roof can still be seen on the East side of the tower.
During World War II, Aston House, opposite the church (demolished in the 60’s) was occupied by the Special Operations Executive (possibly some of the people on the sign?), engaged in the design, testing and production of explosives and secret weapons for use in sabotage operations and guerilla warfare.
Haddenham is one of the largest villages in England, and pre-dates the Doomsday book. The sign shows several of the items for which the village is famous: An Anglo-Saxon (there are several conflicting stories as to how the village was founded - one story says it was founded by A-S travellers from Haddenham in Cambridgeshire), the parish church and pond (where the Aylesbury ducks were bred), a whitchet/wychert wall (of which the village has a large number) and a glider (the No 1 Glider School was based here in the war).
Haddenham is also the home of St Tiggywinkles, the world famous wildlife hospital. It cares for ill and injured wild animals, 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It is best known for it’s care of hedgehogs; however it will help any injured wild animals, for example foxes, badgers and birds.
It is thought that the ‘phan’ part of the village name derives from ‘fen’, lying as it does in the Thurrock fenland north of the Thames. The Bull is the only component of this ’sign’ in what is a relatively quiet village just off the A128.
Blackmore is associated with Henry VIII - he used to stay at Jericho House, the priory was demolished at his command. The church here is Norman but has one of the largest timber belfries in the county. It consists of three pagoda-like stages, as seen on the sign.
Unsurprisingly, this sign shows the bridge over the River Roding after which the village is named. The bridge has been an important crossing point on the river for many centuries, pointed out by the Roman(?) helm on the sign. The church spire shown on the sign appears to be that of nearby St Mary’s Lambourne rather than the Abridge Holy Trinity church which is spireless.
I’ve been a bit remiss in cataloguing the village signs I’ve seen over the past few months. So much so that I’ve now got a backlog of some 40-odd signs to add here. I’ll endeavour to get back into the habit of updating this site on a regular basis, at least until the backlog is cleared.
I’ve also finally gotten around to joining the Village Sign Society (the cheque’s in the post, honest!) - I was getting constant reminders from people on Flickr, asking me if I’d joined. So that’s the latest news, not much else to report, look out for more updates and new entries in the near future…
A double sided sign (the other was in heavy shade, so no photo), both showing a rural scene. The Haddenham Great Mill which is undergoing restoration is shown on this side.
A Steam Rally is held each year in Haddenham, emphasising the rural nature of the area.
A double-sided sign, the view above commemorates St Pandionia who, after her chastity was threatened, is said to have taken refuge in the nunnery of Eltisley where she adopted the religious life and was eventually canonised for her virtue. She died in the convent, and was buried by a well called St. Pandionia’s Well. Her body was removed into Eltisley church in the year 1344.
Robert Palmer, vicar in 575, destroyed a well in the churchyard, presumed to be St. Pandionia’s well.
The other side of the sign shows a more typical village scene of cricket being played on the green.
Earith is situated on the northerly banks of the Great Ouse River at the junction of the Old West River and the Old and New Bedford Rivers, and this connection with the local waterways is depicted in the motifs on the sign.
The two townships of Bluntisham and Earith, a mile apart on the A1123, form one ecclesiastical parish. Evidence of Neolithic and Roman habitation has been found in the area, including a small bronze statue (8 1/2 inches high) found in nearby Bury Fen in 1826. The statue is now in the British Museum.
Medmenham lies on the banks of the Thames, and the sign by the church appears to depict a Viking ship, possibly alluding to the nearby ‘hillforts’- a series of prehistoric defensive earthworks on the Chilterns at Medmenham Camp and Danesfield Camp?
Also nearby is Medmenham Abbey - site of the infamous Hell-Fire Club (also known as the Medmenham Monks), held by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1700’s.
The annual picturesque ceremony of ’swan-upping’ when young swans on the Thames are counted and tagged for the reigning monarch, used to end with a great dinner of the ‘Swan-Uppers’ at Medmenham.
