GBSGVC Installs New Village Sign

Published: 15 May 2018

The sign is set in the most historic part of the village, a few yards from the Grade 1 listed building of St Mary Magdalene. The area has a long tradition of being a farming community, even now it is surrounded by fields, much of them used for agriculture. In the early 1600s Christopher Martin was Church Warden of St Mary Magdalene, he disagreed with the Church authorities and joined the pilgrims. In 1620 with his wife and stepson he set sail as Passenger Governor on the Mayflower landing at Cape Cod America. These historic facts were pulled together in the sign. The Chairman, Cllr Marie Dear, was delighted to invite Mr Bert Cottle, who created the initial drawings for the sign while he was a Village Councillor, to unveil the sign.

Great Burstead and South Green Village Council acknowledges with thanks the assistance of Essex County Council in siting the sign and granting a licence, Basildon Borough Council for permissions and for storing the sign, Alpha Signs for the high quality of its manufacture, the contractors for its installation and Village Councillors for their work on the sign over the years.

The sign is designed to be a focal point in the community of Great Burstead.