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17
Aug 2024
Where has Scriven's 1920s fingerpost sign gone?
Residents in Scriven, on the outskirts of Knaresborough, may have noticed that a historic sign has been missing for a few months.
Janet Palmer, who lives in Knaresborough, alerted us to the loss of the black and white ‘fingerpost’ sign, which points to London, Edinburgh, Scotch Corner, Harrogate, Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.
The sign, on the junction of Greengate Lane and Boroughbridge Road, dates from approximately the 1920s.
The Stray Ferret investigated and discovered it has been taken away for restoration work commissioned by North Yorkshire Highways.
The sign has been sent to Cumbria to Signpost Restoration Limited, which has over 20 years of experience in bringing signs back to their former glory.
The company has undertaken restorations from Devon to Dumfries and was commissioned in April to begin work on the Scriven signpost.
The post has remained in Knaresborough while the components that were removed from site have been taken to a workshop near Carlisle.
The components were dismantled from the post in May and sent to the workshop. The post had its fifth and final coat of paint applied in June.
fingerpost sign Scriven, Knaresborough pre restoration
David Gosling, director of Signpost Restoration Limited, said:
The wooden fingerboards were rotten, one had already been lost, and were removed and three new boards in oak were manufactured. The fingerboards have been painted white and the legends [destination names] painted onto them using digitally produced masks/stencils to ensure accuracy.
The fingerpost is currently undergoing restoration and all that is left to do is complete the painting of the legends on the new oak fingerboards and once this is finished, I can return to Scriven to erect all of the components and paint the black hoops onto the post to complete the restoration.
Works on the post, collars and finial from the Scriven sign
He added:
All the cast iron components have been grit blasted back to bare metal and the painted with specialist paints.
Once the fingerboard painting is complete the boards will be inserted into the cast iron brackets and secured.
There is a hold-up with painting the fingerboards due to an equipment failure but once this is rectified the restoration can be completed. I expect this to be by the end of August.
North Yorkshire Highways, which trades as NYHighways, is a limited company owned by the council.
The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire Council to ask how much the restoration cost and why it had been commissioned.
A spokesperson for the council said:
The sign needed restoration. The estimated cost is £2,500.
No further details were given.
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