Early (pre Worboys) road signage.

[Cowley]

I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with the older style of road signs that you still see from time to time. There’s certain areas in the country that seem to have retained them and if I ever see an unusual one I try and either get a photo of it or remember where it was so that I can have a look at it on street view later.

Does anyone on here also suffer with this affliction? There’s an interesting feature on them on roads.org.uk here if you want to learn a bit more about them.

Here’s a few local to me that I like.

This ones on the way into the centre of Dawlish and I presume it’s regularly touched up to keep it looking fresh:


This one is in Coombeinteignhead near Teignmouth. Unfortunately it’s quite obscured by the foliage but the left hand fork says “B3195 Shaldon” on it. I’ve got a better photo somewhere but I can’t find it so these are all from street view.


This one is in Coleford and is rather lovely I think:


I’m not sure how old any of these are. Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Gloster]

Try .roads.org.uk or sabre .

 

[Cowley]

Try .roads.org.uk or sabre .

I put a link to roads.org.uk in the post @Gloster.

 

[Dai Corner]

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[Ash Bridge]

This is definitely another affliction we share Mr C!

 

[Cowley]

This is definitely another affliction we share Mr C!

This is good news! I must say that I’m not that surprised though now that you say it.

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That looks interesting. I shall join the group later.

 

[alxndr]

I also find them quite interesting, although can only recall two that I've come across.


https://www.google.com/maps/@51.591...e0!5s20210401T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu


https://www.google.com/maps/@51.478...e0!5s20110801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

Tangentially, I've also always been quite curious of this sign, which isn't pre-Worboys, but isn't quite right either.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.567...-Fg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i20?entry=ttu

 

[swt_passenger]

I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with the older style of road signs that you still see from time to time. There’s certain areas in the country that seem to have retained them and if I ever see an unusual one I try and either get a photo of it or remember where it was so that I can have a look at it on street view later…

View attachment 142965

I’m not sure how old any of these are. Does anyone have any thoughts?

That one seems very odd, it’s almost as though some parts have been painted over. Normally wouldn’t each of the arrows be connected to a separate box? Is it possible the blank spaces are where the sign included road numbers at one stage, and they’ve been superseded or downgraded. Although it’s always possible it’s an unofficial replica I suppose.

I couldn’t find anything else like it in the “SABRE” photo galleries so far.

Here’s a link to the SABRE website pre-Worboys pages: https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Pre-Worboys

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

There are still villages and hamlets that have the pre-Warboys 'running-in' nameboards, with the distance to the nearest settlement in either direction quoted. I like the fingerposts with the names of long-lost authorities like 'West Riding C C' or 'County Borough of Halifax'. There are also ones still directing you to long-lost railway stations - in Cornwall in Carnhell Green near Camborne there is one pointing the way to Gwinear Road station (closed 1964).

As an aside, I think it is a tribute to Margaret Lambert, designer of the Warboys signs, that they still look modern and fresh 60 years on.

 

[Snow1964]

I came across this sign, when holidaying in Lucker, Northumberland.
A1 pointing south to Alnwick, A1 pointing north to Berwick. The A1 has been straightened and is about 100m further west nowadays, but old cast signs remain on old road

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[DelW]

The last ones I knew of in my area were replaced around a decade ago - although I have spotted a support pole whose grey paint is flaking off to reveal its original black and white stripes.

This (and its partner facing the other way) were still insitu when I walked this road in mid Wales in 2021. I assumed they'd been retained because of the historic property to which they direct people.