ESCC Sign, Brightling

The final day of freedom, so I made the most of the dry weather and went out into East Sussex. I visited 4 churches, 3 of which I had never seen before - Penhurst, Brightling, Dallington and (Old) Heathfield.

Many English counties had their own distinctive style of fingerpost sign. This is the East Sussex pattern which is found all over the county. It can also be found in West Sussex in the area that was moved from East Sussex to West Sussex in 1974. More recently, a company who specialises in restoring and recreating fingerpost signs has added more in this style in parts of West Sussex that would never ever have had any of this design (West Sussex signs were of cast iron). This sign is on the southern edge of the village of Brightling that is in the middle of the High Weald. The post and arms are of wood and the lettering used to be of cast metal along with the cap. Some refurbished signs have plastic lettering and a plastic cap - one at Laughton is made to this style but is entirely in plastic! The design goes back to the beginning of the 20th Century and may go back further, into the 1890's.