Kirkby on Bain finally fully signposted!

The campaign by villager Jill Russell has seen new village signs are in place at all three entry points into the village, with the idea that they will enhance and emphasize that Kirkby is a special place which needs to be driven through respectfully.

The plans all came about when Jill and her partner Harry moved to the village in 2009, and they became increasingly rankled that the signs into the village were small.

Jill explained: “As we talked with other villagers we found that we were not alone in thinking this and the clamour for some better village signs grew and grew.”

In Spring 2018, the Parish Council suggested that designs for a potential new sign be submitted; open to people in the area and students from the primary school, and Jill herself decided to try and produce a design.

"I came to the conclusion that to do the village sign justice and be worthwhile it should be scenes depicting parts of the village which were not to be seen from the road,” Jill explained.

“I took scenes which showed the back of the church from the footpath bridge, painted the old original primary school building with clock and bell and the old watermill water in full flow.

"Wanting to include some wildlife of the village and there were so many from which to choose: hares, gulls, oyster catchers, swallows, rabbits, foxes, deer and so on.

"I eventually plumped for heron and swan as a regular visitors to the river and the elusive kingfisher. I also wanted to depict the farming around the area, with a tractor.

Jill’s design was the submitted to Kirkby on Bain Parish Council and her design was accepted, and after a few delays in the process last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the signs were approved by Lincolnshire County Council and erected earlier this month.

Jill has thanked Martin Briscombe, chairman of the Parish Council, for his help and added: “I am so proud to have done this design and hope people like it.

"It does feel it does Kirkby on Bain a massive boost and show how much those who live here value the village as a great place to live.”