Town Sign
The village sign, as it was then known, was designed by Albert Ribbans of Rushmere St Andrew, depicting one of the cedar trees — a notable feature of the Kesgrave churchyard. The sign was presented to the village by the Kesgrave Women’s Institute in 1965 to commemorate the Institute’s Golden Jubilee.
Originally sited at the newly opened Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre adjacent to the A12 (now A1214) Main Road, it would have been visible to passing travellers between London and Lowestoft. When the development of Grange Farm began, the sign and the original War Memorial Hall had to be relocated, as this became the site of the new All Saints Roundabout and Ropes Drive West. A new community centre was constructed at Twelve Acre Approach, and the sign was erected at the entrance gate.
Time took its toll on the supporting post, and a replacement was installed. The sign was restored and moved to a more prominent position on the green outside The Walk on Bell Lane in the late 1990s.
Sixty years on from the original presentation of the sign to Kesgrave, it has once again been lovingly restored to its former glory. To mark this occasion, the Kesgrave Women’s Institute were invited back to see its reinstatement at a ceremony held on 26 August 2025.
