National Highways team on point with repairs to historic fingerpost
National Highways has stepped in to restore an historic fingerpost that had fallen into disrepair alongside the busy A5.
The post, at the junction of the A5 Watling Street and Chester Road in Brownhills, was erected more than 40 years ago, in January 1982, but is actually a replica of the original signpost which stood on the site from 1777 to 1978.
The original is now in the care of the Staffordshire County Museum and is reputed to the oldest surviving signpost in England.
Caption: The old fingers were rotten, illegible and barely hanging on before National Highways stepped in
The sad demise of the post was flagged to National Highways by Geoff Egginton who had been for a meal at a pub across the road when he spotted the ailing road marker.
Mr Egginton, who lives in Aldridge, said:
“I had met up with my brother when we noticed the post which we hadn’t spotted before. When we saw that the history of the fingerpost dated back to 1777 it seemed such a shame to see the poor condition of this antiquity.
“So when I got home I wrote an email and soon National Highways were in touch. I’m delighted to see the work that has been done, it looks even better than I thought it would.”
Caption: Taking a look at the newly restored post are, from left, Phil Cheshire of Colas, Geoff Egginton, National Highways’ Route Manager David East and Environment Team Manager Sam Newbold, and restorer John Gutsell
The post and its fingers were made of green oak and as this dried out, cracks had appeared and some damage crept in, as well as a build-up of moss and algae.
To preserve the post for generations to come, restoration was needed. National Highways managed to track down expert John Gutsell, based in Leamington Spa, who got to work.
The fingers were taken away and repaired using English oak. John also restored and repaired the post and a plaque was placed in front of the fingerpost.
Caption: Looking as good as new, the fingers in the original lettering style
National Highways Route Manager David East said:
“When Geoff flagged this important piece of history to us, we knew straight away that we had to make sure it was not only preserved but returned to its former glory – to stand proud once more in its spot on the A5 where our ancestors would have passed it some 250 years ago.
“Finding a specialist to carry out the work was our first challenge and it was painstaking work to complete but it was certainly worth the wait and we hope the community and road workers will take time to take a look at this interesting artefact.”
Caption: The plaque setting out the history of the fingerpost dating back to 1777
John, of JPG Restoration, said:
“It was a pleasure to work on such an interesting project. I’ve done lots of wood work previously with old beams and so forth but nothing quite like this.
“There was a lot of craftsmanship in the original fingerpost – you might have expected it to be a lot more simple around that time - so I wanted to make sure I maintained that and carried out some research to ensure it remained true to the original design.”
He was supported with the work on site by Phil Cheshire of National Highways’ contractor Colas. Phil said:
"I'm proud of our team for being a part of bringing this historic fingerpost back to life. Working alongside John from JPG Restoration allowed us to blend expertise and passion, ensuring this piece of history can be appreciated for years to come."
Notes to Editors
Finer details of the restoration work are explained by John Gutsell on his website here: https://www.jpgrestoration.co.uk/gallery
