New Village Sign for Wickhampton

Wickhampton’s new village sign was unveiled on Saturday 26 February by Mr Grant Nurden, Broadland District Councillor and member of Freethorpe Parish Council. Thankfully, the recent strong winds held off on the day, and the many villagers and visitors who attended the event enjoyed warm sunshine and refreshments!

The original village sign was constructed in the year 2000, to mark the Millennium, but time and weather took their toll on the wooden panels and spandrels, and these have been sympathetically replaced.

The new sign has kept faith with the old one, save for the addition of two cows, reflecting the very fertile grazing on the Wickhampton marshes. The church of St Andrew is seen on the left, with Webster’s Dairy (a family-run business which closed many years ago) on the right, and Stone’s Drainage Mill standing behind. A Viking ship makes its way under full sail, harking back to times when the sea came up to the church, and a grey heron is seen front left - a bird regularly spotted on the marshes.

The two spandrels depict a hare, similar to that seen in the wonderful medieval wall paintings in the church of St Andrew and, legend has it, the “heart in the hand” refers to the tale of the two feuding brothers, whose bitter argument over land escalated to such dreadful violence, that they each ripped out the other’s heart. The effigy of one brother - Lord William Gerbrygge - and of his lady, rest in the church of St Andrew. Perhaps the truth is less gruesome; after the death of his lady, the knight is holding his broken heart in his hands?

Press release: Sara Stephenson