The Anmer Village Sign

The new village sign was unveiled in 2007  by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. The original sign was presented to Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1957 by the Boy Scouts Association   of Norfolk and erected in the Village in early 1958. It has been repaired and replaced a number of times since.

The Anmer village sign depicts on one side a Roman Centurion and on the other a Boy Scout wearing as his badge the coat of arms of Norfolk. Each side of the sign bears the motto ‘este paratt’ – ‘Be prepared’, the scouting associations motto.

The Boy Scout carving on the sign symbolises the scouting connections with the estate, which hosted jamborees in the 1950’s, and it is thought that the Roman soldier reflects the Roman connections with the area around Anmer. Close to Anmer lies Anmer Minque a small wooded area and it is here that Boudicca is said to have fought a battle against the Romans. Roman remains have also been found in the Minque.

Oak for the present sign was harvested from the Sandringham Estate. The photos above were taken 12 months apart and show how the oak has already aged.

This  milestone by the sign is very ancient, the old “long” S being used in the lettering. During the Second World War it was dug up and buried up the lane in case of invasion.. Luckily the roadman responsible remembered where he had put it!