Fingerposts in Somerset

Somerset examples

In similarity to Dorset, Somerset has very many remaining fingerposts, both within the current County Council adminstrative area and in the neighbouring adminstrative areas of North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset Councils.

As a rule fingerposts in Somerset today consist of:

• Round metal posts painted grey with the word 'Somerset' down the side, and sometimes the name of the foundry
• Posts topped with white painted pyramid finials, with the letters SCC (the initials for Somerset County Council, the highway authority)
• Metal arms for destination names and mileage, either with triangular or square ends
• Mileage to the destinations are given to the nearest quarter mile.

Fingerpost on Ubley Warren, with triangular finial, classified road number on arm and replacement plastic arm with Transport Heavy typeface [J Purkiss 2005]

Fingerpost at Shutteroaks, Hinton St. George, with highway authority name down the pole [J Purkiss 2006]

A Local Heritage Initiative funded programme has seen 30 fingerposts repaired and maintained within the Quantock Hills AONB under the auspices of Phase 1 of the Highway Heritage Project. They have had a triangular collar added with the junction name. New arms and collars have been forged at Cerdic Foundries in Chard and the posts painted in Raven Grey, a colour unique to these fingerposts.

Somerset County Council now have a policy of restoring fingerposts across the whole county using replacement cast iron arms as opposed to other materials, such as plastic or aluminium.