Sudbury signage & wayfinding project

Sudbury Town Council is pleased to announce the completion of a new signage, interpretation and wayfinding suite of signage for Sudbury!

An Industrious Town - Northern Road

Market Town - Waldingfield Road

Valley of Artists - Ballingdon Hill

The UK Capital of Silk - Kings Hill

Sudbury's Ancient Water Meadows - Melford Road

Funded by section 106 and Shared Prosperity Funds, the funding was contractually ringfenced for the provision of new signage in Sudbury Town centre. Designed to celebrate Sudbury's rich heritage, Sudbury Town Council prioritised using the funds to create new signage including gateway signs, fingerposts wayfinders and Totem Interpretations & Map Signs.

6 new finger wayfinding posts have been installed in locations determined by early 'walk testers' research and heat maps of Sudbury's footfall, located on Old Market Place, Friars Street, Station Road, Hamilton Road, Walnut Tree Lane and Cornard Road. Helping guide pedestrians to some of Sudbury's landmark buildings and town centre.

The beginning of May saw the completion of the project as the last of the Totem Interpretation & Map Signs were installed and ready to be unveiled.

Ashley Cooper giving a speech

On Friday 2nd May a group, including the Town Clerk, Deputy Mayor Andy Welsh, local historian Ashley Cooper, Talbot Trail creator Robin Drury, members of the South Suffolk Culture Group, Town Councilor's and more gathered on the Croft for the totem 'The Birth of the Town of Sudbury'.

Ashley Cooper was invited to speak at the unveiling having been a crucial expert in putting the history together and lending his knowledge to make the totems unmissable.

The ribbon was cut by Deputy Mayor Andy Welsh who later said:

"The totems have added further information that i didn't know about before, all around its been a fantastic job!"

After the cutting the Business Manager Rachel Price, who has been leading this project for the last 2 years took the group on a small tour to the other 4 totems, taking the group through the scenic route, the water meadows.

The totems were placed in a way to provide historical information at 5 key points of the Town Centre, with one side a map specially designed with Sudbury's key sites and attractions highlighted with bespoke icons.

On the reverse side of the totem tells a story of the place the totem is placed, including the aforementioned 'The Birth of the Town Sudbury' on the Croft, 'The Great Ditch' on Friars Street, 'Sudbury Water Meadows & The Mill' on Walnut tree lane, 'Sudbury's Railways Past and Present' on Station Road or 'Sudbury Market & Market Hill' on Old Market Place.

During the group tour, local historian Ashley Cooper and Talbot Trail creator Robin Drury spoke at each totem, giving the significance of the history and showing the influence they have had both on this project and others around Sudbury. Joining in showing her love of all Sudbury both then and now, Business Manager Rachel Price added some of the inspiration to how the project came about.

Finishing the tour at the last totem in Old Market Place you can see the excitement by all of who taken part, and played a huge role in making this become a reality.

A huge thank you to:

Steve Pardue of Differentia for the designs,

IS Group for the fabrication and installation of all signs.

The Sudbury Museum Trust for access to the town's extensive photo and image archive,

And finally to Ashley Cooper, for his valuable input at the research phase and for his continued love of Sudbury.

Enjoy the video below of the tour and speeches by special guests.

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To find out more about Section 106 visit www.babergh.gov.uk/w/section-106-information-guidance