New signs for Charlbury

Sat 13 Jan 2018, 20:12

The outstanding natural beauty label doesn't cut it with me, I'm afraid. It's not natural beauty, it's mostly heavily contrived agricultural production (keep off) or heavily guarded private estates (keep out).

Sat 13 Jan 2018, 07:50

I hope that signs in Charlbury will never reach the ridiculous level of the stone sign up on the Woodstock Road near Kings Wood, which informs the reader that they are in the Cotswolds and that it is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ... why is such a sign needed? Cannot people use their eyes?! You might as well have a sign that points to the tarmac and says "Road"!

Fri 12 Jan 2018, 15:48

Helen, whilst this is a digression from the thread I agree. Navigating the parked cars along Sheep Street is a nightmare. Your comment about an ambulance getting stuck caught my eye. It is a criminal offence to obstruct the access of emergency vehicles. See The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006. For a number of obviously good reasons!

Thu 11 Jan 2018, 09:05

Richard, 'recognising Charlbury's location in an AONB' with a town sign on the Burford Road would have a certain irony if it is positioned this side (ie. the Charlbury side) of the proposed Rushy Bank development - which has seemingly disregarded AONB requirements! Furhermore, if there are funds available for new signs why is it so difficult for us to get a sign at the top of Sheep Street preventing large lorries driving down it. Incidentally, yesterday cars were parked so inconsiderately in Sheep Street that even an ambulance couldn't get through.

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 16:13

Why Change ?

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 15:15

With all the proposed new development going ahead what about a "FOR SALE" sign?!?!

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 14:46

Keep Out!?

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 18:15

Agree the mock-up is too cluttered. I quite like 'in the Cotswolds' underneath, or the AONB logo, as we are the first Cotswolds town via Woodstock and the sign is easy to miss. I like the idea of commissioning a local artisan. Bernard Johnson is an excellent stone carver if we go for stone, which would be nice and appropriate.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 13:04

I agree with Richard that a simple Charlbury sign (or a beautiful one like Thaxted's ) with the 'clutter' of info kept on a separate brown plate would be clearer, more elegant and and easier to read than the example. What about commissioning one of the talented graphic designers we have in Charlbury to come up with something?

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 12:29

The Thaxted sign is unique to that town - attractive and well made but not cluttered with all the other stuff that the Cotswold Conservation Board seems to think is necessary. Personally I really like it and would be happy to see signs like this at the gateway to all the towns and villages of the Cotswolds - each sign reflecting something of the history and individuality of that particular place.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 11:43

Stephen. Completely agree.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 10:52 (last edited on Sat 13 Jan 2018, 20:02)

Ok, the stone markers are hardly historical. Accurate description. For something to become historical, it has to be left alone. Everything was new (and possibly widely mocked) once.

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:47 (last edited on Sun 24 Dec 2017, 12:01)

The stone markers (AKA Cotswold gravestones) are hardly historical - they appeared in the 1990's and were widely mocked at the time. A simple sign for Charlbury would suffice, the one in the example reminds me of American town signs which are cluttered with adverts for every society in town.

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:21 (last edited on Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:21)

Before we get involved in new designs, can we please ask for the 'Charlbury - Business open as Usual' signs on the approach roads into Town to be removed or somehow adapted? I know that they are supposedly there to prevent HGV's from illegally using the Evenlode bridge until it is repaired (ie never), but they suggest that we are still suffering from the 2007 floods.

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:11

Thank you Richard
As you say quite correctly there is no intention to remove existing marker stones (although I have hear people say they are reminiscent of gravestones!)
I also agree that TSRGD-compliant road sign design is certainly not one of my talents hence the start of this thread
Looking at some signs however such as this from Thaxted
www.alamy.com/stock-photo/thaxted-town-sign-essex.html
I would be interested to see what the regulations cover

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 09:32

Tony is a man of very many talents - cidermaker, bellringer, blacksmith, flood-preventer, tireless local champion, and an academic of some renown - but not a qualified TSRGD-compliant road sign designer last time I checked! I think this thread has rather run away with itself.

I don't believe there's any suggestion of removing the lovely stone markers, nor of erecting new signs to that design or one much like it. There are strict regulations (TSRGD) on what sign designs highway authorities can permit by the highway. (If you're interested, town signs are diagram 2403.1 as varied by note 38.)

As I understand it, the suggestion is to modestly revise/replace the existing town entrance signs with something that recognises Charlbury's location in the Cotswold AONB and its distinctiveness as a town, while respecting the need for clarity and legibility (when viewed from car, bike or foot), the Conservation Area setting, and the frightfully boring but necessary regulatory compliance.

The current signs are pretty poor: they exhort people to "die fully", and the pictograms claim Charlbury's biggest attractions to be a car park, a toilet and a wheelchair. We can do better than that. It might be that a final design has a simpler, plainer 'CHARLBURY' sign and the other information shown beneath on a separate brown plate - that's a fairly common design. Or there are several other options that have been used successfully in towns around Britain.

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 04:23

Tony, thank you for offering the opportunity to comment. I have to admit that I strongly dislike the contents of the post. I would like the stone markers to be left alone, please. They are little treasures and always lovely to see. It would be vandalism to remove them. It makes no sense for the 'Conservation Board' to want to destroy something that is unique and historical. Do the members of the Cotswold Conservation Board actually know the meaning of the word 'conserve'? (WODC certainly do not).
I see nothing to like in the proposed style and content of sign (sorry, this is not a personal attack). I agree with Rhona - it is enough to know that you are coming into Charlbury when you see a placename saying Charlbury. The other bits and pieces tacked on to the proposed sign are unnecessary.

Sat 23 Dec 2017, 23:05

Two signs ... perhaps three.
(1) Welcome to Charlbury
(2) Charlbury Accident Recovery
(3) Charlbury Funeral Services
Should cover most eventualities in case of driver information overload...
Seriously though, too much on it. What are the really essential items? And what about something cast for the town name too look a bit classier? If one wants to put in info, can they be separated without leading to more street furniture clutter?

Sat 23 Dec 2017, 22:04

The board should be aware we try and avoid having this happening on footpath signs (too many rights of way markers on a single post) so for the same reason they shouldn't be on town and village signs - as has already been said it's too cluttered.

Sat 23 Dec 2017, 20:48

Sorry but I really dislike those kind of signs. They have far too much information on them and look really messy and cluttered. Please can we just have a sign that says Charlbury. After all, that is what this place is called.

Sat 23 Dec 2017, 20:41

Too cluttered. Very few people know what Sustrans is and why should the sign support any particular lobby group?The well known railway station symbol would be more informative. Everybody should be welcome, not just walkers.
Personally I rather liked the modified strapline "Please d i e carefully"!

Sat 23 Dec 2017, 15:32

As part of the drive to raise awareness of the Cotswolds and in addition to our bid to become a Cotswold Gateway Town the Cotswold Conservation Board is going to try changing some Town and Village signs as the present stone markers are not very distinctive.
They had agreed to trial this in Charlbury and this has been endorsed by the Town Council.
As the signs are a chance to say something about the Town I thought it would be good to ask everyone for ideas so please email me
I have just done an example which you can see here
drive.google.com/open?id=16QX5qt7C9TTfPZKOcODeUqzyiygyTKjp