Beccles

The Sign
Dr Henry Wood-Hill was Mayor of the Borough of Beccles from 1935-1938. He conceived the idea of the sign as part of his efforts to make Beccles a more beautiful and worthy place. On 24th June 1939 the sign arrived in the town, Dr Wood-Hill had given a prize for the best design, where Mr. H A Miller of Norwich was the winner; the carving was by Miss Judy Barber. The first sign was erected at the end of Ballygate.
The sign shows Queen Elizabeth 1st handing over the charter to the first Portreeve, Sir John Baas in 1584.

In 1980 the original sign was damaged, and a replica had to be produced to replace it. The original version, restored and repainted by Mr. Arthur Josling of Beccles, is now on display at the Beccles & District Museum in Ballygate. Today other replica signs stand at entrances to Beccles from the main roads at George Westwood Way, London Road, Ellough Road and Northgate. The signs were provided under the aegis of the Town Council’s Pride in Beccles (now Beccles in Bloom) Committee. The Northgate sign indicates that this sign was sponsored by the Bean family who used to reside in Northgate.

At the boundary with Worlingham, a welcome sign has been placed. The inset for Beccles is very different from the town sign, here the theme is of the rising sun behind the detached tower of the church of St Michael; the tower is now in private hands and is regularly open for trips to the top. The welcome sign was erected in 2018, with the inset being placed in 2023.

A couple of other village sign related features include the pennant on the beacon in the park at Beccles Quay displaying the arms of the Beccles Town Council and a couple of the older street names include the Beccles sign as part of their make-up, as well as some of the town information signs.

The Name and Population
Beccles is a market town in the north of Suffolk on the border with Norfolk. It had a population of 10,123 at the 2011 census. Beccles was called Becles in the Domesday Book and later Beclis in 1147. The name comes from Old English probably meaning “the pasture by the stream”.

Other Points of Interest

Catherine Suckling married the Reverend Edmund Nelson, a former curate of Beccles, at the church in 1749. Their son, Horatio Nelson, was born in 1758 in Norfolk. The Suffolk poet George Crabbe married Sarah Elmy at the church in the 18th century.

The annual Beccles Carnival and Family Fun weekend is held during the third weekend in August, which includes the popular Duck Race on the River Waveney.

Beccles is twinned with Petit - Couronne.

Other Beccles Signs - found on old street name signs, information posts & Noticeboard Welcome Sign at the main bus stop