The Sign
The sign was erected in 1996, with design coming from a local competition and eventually made by the Brandeston Forge being presented by the Women's Institute.

The shield design is split into four quadrants with the name separating them on two scrolls.

Top left: Old cement factory and chimney, now disappeared.

Top right: Church of St Mary

Bottom left: Bridge over the river Gipping

Bottom right: The Parish Room.

The Name and Population
The population of the parish was 2,485 at the 2021 census and 2,192 in the main built up area. It was called Blacheham, Blacham in 1086 and Blakenham Magna in 1291. It probably means "The homestead of a man called Blaca", from Old English. Magna is Latin for Great.

Other Points of Interest
The Parish Room is a well known landmark in Great Blakenham and is one of the older building in the villages. Built in 1897, it was leased from Eton College on a 99 year lease for one shilling per annum. In 1967 it was sold by Eton College to the Parochial Church Council for £100 and in 2000 it was refurbished and extended.

The medieval church of St Mary’s on Stowmarket Road which has undergone expansion over the past millennium and underwent restoration during the Victorian period. The Church graveyard has been closed for almost a century and the new Lawn Cemetery can be found on Chalk Hill Lane.

In more recent times, mineral extraction from pits to the south of the village was a large industry, helping to maintain the cement works and its chimney that dominated the skyline until it's closure in 1999 and demolition in 2001. During WWII the Luftwaffe bombed the factory and destroyed the chimney with one fatality. The extraction pit has been used for waste disposal and this facility is due to end around 2025.