Town's old street signs auctioned off

Old black and white street signs from a North Yorkshire town are to be sold at auction after they were replaced with blue ones as part of a heritage project.

The signs - including those for Market Place, Castlegate and Willowgate in Pickering - were removed as part of a project proposed by local resident Andrew Gadsby.

He noted the town's original signs were blue with white lettering, but many had been replaced over the years with standard black and white ones.

Mr Gadsby approached Pickering Town Community Interest Group (CIC) who funded the new replica enamel signs, and the old ones will now be sold by Ryedale Auctioneers on 16 August.

Pickering Town CIC said North Yorkshire Council gave them permission to auction the old signs and the money raised would go into future community projects.

Mr Gadsby researched and co-ordinated the manufacture and placing of the signs, helped by Gerard Taylor Builders, who installed the signs free of charge.

The signs available to buy are for The Ropery, Undercliffe, three for Market Place, two for Castlegate, Park Street, Champleys Yard, two for Castle Road, two for Willowgate, Smiddy Hill, Burgate, Hatcase Lane and Kirkham Lane.

Mike Potter from Pickering Town CIC said the old signs were installed when "it was decreed by government that all the streets had to be properly named".

He said: "Pickering ended up with these lovely signs that were enamelled, with a blue background with white writing on, and these were used throughout the town.

"Over time they have either rusted away or they have disappeared as buildings have been demolished or changed or whatever.

"They were replaced by the bog standard white ones in various styles."

Mr Potter said the cost was about £6,000, but the project took a while to realise as many of the sites were within a conservation area, or on listed buildings which required special planning permission.

"I have no idea what sort of prices they will attract but these sort of signs do seem to be quite popular," he said.

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