About Village Sign Caches
This cache belongs to the Village Sign Series, a series of caches based on ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (generally on the village green!).
The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably started in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country so we thought we would base a series on them!
More information and statistics can be found at the Village Signs Website - https://www.villagesignseries.co.uk
Brightlingsea Village Sign
An ancient maritime town, Brightlingsea is located at the mouth of the River Colne, it is a major yachting centre with the harbour and promenade bustling with activity. The town has a history of shipbuilding and seafaring and there are disused oyster pits near the Town Hard.
In 1347 five ships and 51 men were sent to the Siege of Calais. ‘William of Brightlingsea’ was in Sir Francis Drake’s fleet which vanquished the Spanish Armada.
Brightlingsea has the distinction of being the only Cinque Port outside Kent and Sussex having been a limb of Sandwich since 1360.
Being almost totally surrounded by the Colne Estuary, Brightlingsea Creek & salt marsh, Brightlingsea's road links are unusually limited for a town of its size, with only one road linking the town with the outside. During the North Sea Flood of 1953 Brightlingsea was cut off from the outside, though the town itself was not as severely affected as some neighbouring communities.
The vilage sign is a tribute to the town's fishing and Cinque Port heritage.
If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do. I would ask that you request a number for your cache first by filling in the new request form on the Village Sign Series website villagesignseries.co.uk https://www.villagesignseries.co.uk so we can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.
On the plaque here:
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
ABCD
N51 49. (D-A)(B-C+A)(D-A-A)
E001 00.B(C-D)(A+A+A)