The Sign
The red sailed London sailing barge on water is at the top which is often seen racing at Pin Mill. There is also a bit left of a windmill at the very top of the sign which could refer to the former steam-powered mill. Above the name are two sheaves of corn relating to agriculture in the area.

The Name and Population
Called Chelmundeston in 1174 and Chelmondeston in 1219. It means The estate of a man called Ceolmund", from Old English. Pin Mill was marked on Hodskinsons map in 1783 and later OS maps. It may be a reference to the old mill and could mean the "Mill made using wooden pegs". The population of Chelmondiston was 1,054 at the 2011 census; Pin Mill lies within the parish.

Other Points of Interest
The original parish church of St. Andrew was described in 1865 as an "old, small, dilapidated edifice, with a square tower", and it was subsequently rebuilt by architect Edward Charles Hakewill. On 10 December 1944, during World War II, a flying bomb hit the church and it was almost completely destroyed. In 1951, Basil Hatcher was commissioned to provide a replacement. The modern St. Andrew's church includes a set of stained glass windows made by Francis Skeat in the 1960s.

Pin Mill was once a busy landing point for ship-borne cargo, a centre for the repair of Thames sailing barges and home to many small industries such as sail making, a maltings and a brickyard. The east coast has a long history of smuggling, in which Pin Mill and the Butt and Oyster pub allegedly played key parts.

Pin Mill has been used as a location for books and films in the past including Swallows and Amazons from Arthur Ransome.