Welcome return for Freshford station sign

A piece of Victorian railway history has been restored to Freshford in the form of an old four-metre-long cast-iron station sign.

The sign, which is about 120 years old, was reinstated at a ceremony last Thursday, and sits in splendour beside the station gardens, established by the local community in 2006.

The sign has been in the collection of a Devon railway historian, who recognised it from an old picture of the station in a Freshford history book.

The collector contacted the Friends of Freshford Conservation Society about restoring the sign to its original home.

Roland Birchby, then secretary of the society and a fellow railway enthusiast, said: “We were thrilled to hear that the sign still existed, and negotiated a very good price for it as the collector was moving house.

“By this time news of the discovery had spread, Alan Duck, a resident of the adjacent village of Limpley Stoke, stepped in and carried out the rescue mission to bring the sign home from Devon.”

Having undertaken some unexpected voyages, the sign needed a few repairs.

Restoration work was carried out by carpenter Mark White, who was brought up in Freshford, and whose family has lived in the village for many years.

Friends of Freshford chairman Richard Blamey said: “The local community have adopted Freshford station and really taken it to their hearts, and we are delighted to have been able to incorporate a bit of the station’s heritage into our work to welcome visitors and create a pleasant environment for our local rail users.”

The restoration effort was funded and organised by the Friends of Freshford with the aid of a grant from the Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership, with installation carried out by First Great Western.