The Sign
The sign takes the form of a pennant hanging from a beacon, located on the cliffs outside of town. On one side is the arms of the town council; the shield consists of three compartments divided chevronwise, the first part is red with a cross being the arms of Roger Bigod, the first Earl of Suffolk, the second part, silver with a red saltire charged with a scallop shell, being the arms of the See of Rochester, whilst the third consists of six wavy lines in silver and blue, with an episcopal mitre. The other side is the same on the beacon at Orford, both celebrating the defeat of the Spanish Armada 400 years ago.

The Name and Population
The population of was estimated at 24,521 in 2017. The name means "Filica's place". Filica may be a form of Felix; the latter has certainly replaced it later. The place was earlier Burg, referring to the Roman fort at Walton Castle, now washed away. The earliest recorded names "Filchestou" from 1254, and "Filchestowe" in 1291, support the name theory.

Other Points of Interest

The town has the largest container port in Britain.

The pier was opened in 1906, rebuilt in late 2017, and re-opened in 2018. During the Second World War the majority of the pier, at the time one of the longest in the country and complete with its own train, was purposely demolished by the Royal Engineers to prevent it from being used as an easy landing point for enemy troops.

Landguard Fort is a scheduled ancient monument and visitor attraction with a nearby nature reserve.