Regeneration work helps revive ancient Staffordshire Watling Street traffic sign
A fingerpost and nod to the history of Watling Street has been given a new lease of life.
National Highways stepped in to restore the historic fingerpost that had fallen into disrepair alongside the busy A5.
The post, at the junction of the A5 Watling Street and Chester Road in Brownhills, was erected in January 1982 but is actually a replica of the original signpost which stood on the site from 1777 to 1978.
The original is now in the care of the Staffordshire County Museum and is reputed to be the oldest surviving signpost in England.
The work to repair the post started after Geoff Egginton, who had been for a meal at a pub across the road, spotted the road marker and noticed the poor condition it was in.
Mr Egginton, who lives in Aldridge, said: “I had met up with my brother when we noticed the post which we hadn’t spotted before.
"When we saw that the history of the fingerpost dated back to 1777, it seemed such a shame to see the poor condition of this antiquity.
