Dark green primary signs

[Conekicker]

A lot of the signs on the old A1 in places like Edinburgh, East Lothian and Newcastle still retain the old, dark green signs, sometimes with the numbers unpatched, of course dating from days before the A1 mainline was moved. One such sign on the former A1, now B1318 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne seems to be a remnant from when the first green signs were introduced in the early 1960s, I believe. This would be the sign in question.

Yes, that sign has at least another two decades of life left in it

[Osthagen]

A lot of the signs on the old A1 in places like Edinburgh, East Lothian and Newcastle still retain the old, dark green signs, sometimes with the numbers unpatched, of course dating from days before the A1 mainline was moved. One such sign on the former A1, now B1318 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne seems to be a remnant from when the first green signs were introduced in the early 1960s, I believe. This would be the sign in question.

Yes, that sign has at least another two decades of life left in it

Most times I visit to the area, I check to see if that particular sign is still exists. Last I checked it was still up.

I wonder if they’ll remove the reference to Edinburgh from the sign when/if it is replaced?

[Bryn666]

A lot of the signs on the old A1 in places like Edinburgh, East Lothian and Newcastle still retain the old, dark green signs, sometimes with the numbers unpatched, of course dating from days before the A1 mainline was moved. One such sign on the former A1, now B1318 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne seems to be a remnant from when the first green signs were introduced in the early 1960s, I believe. This would be the sign in question.

Yes, that sign has at least another two decades of life left in it

Most times I visit to the area, I check to see if that particular sign is still exists. Last I checked it was still up.

I wonder if they’ll remove the reference to Edinburgh from the sign when/if it is replaced?

I suspect it will never be replaced, RCS assemblies rarely get anything but taken down.

[DavidNW9]

I finally got the one I passed many times in Royston.

d green by David Howard, on Flickr

[trickstat]

I finally got the one I passed many times in Royston.

d green by David Howard, on Flickr

That's on the Royston bypass which I think opened in about the mid '80s?

[Truvelo]

Definitely original to the opening of the Royston Bypass. The M on the M11 patch has faded and the stroke width on the A10 north has also weathered somewhat.

[nick_dunn]

The A491 in Stourbridge had many of these old signs replaced in recent years but for some reason this one was not done and still survives. There is another dark green one in better condition on the northbound side half a mile or so further along. There used to be one on the A463 heading for Sedgley just after turning off the A4123 but I noticed recently it has gone completely.

[TomJ]

On a similar note, I assume that this sign is not up to the colour spec. I know this is an old sign and not in the best condition, but I seem to remember a few years ago that this section of the A12 had a number of very light green (almost turquoise) primary signs. They seem to mostly have been replaced from what I can remember from my last drive down there.

[Rambo]

Can't help but think this thread should be in the street furniture catagory..

I noticed quite a few dark green signs along the A592 between Bowness and Newby bridge. Probably about 7 or 8 in total. I was surprised to see them hanging around especially in an affluent area of the Lake district. There were also a few just off the Lindal bypass along the A590. Here are a couple i caught.

[Crimbo13]

The A56 Haslingden and Accrington Easterly Bypasses has a fair few old dark green signs...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69015 ... 2?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69568 ... 2?hl=en-GB this one always interests me because Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup are not listed even though you pass through these towns before you get to Todmorden!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.70194 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has been placed on a new post but the old sign is kept

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76367 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has had a large part of its sign missing for a very long time , ive always wondered what was patched over as well?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76271 ... 6?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.77769 ... 2?hl=en-GB and finally this

im guessing these are all original to the road opening back in the 1980s?

[Runwell]

Here's one in Epping.

Ooh, that's a gem!!

Although it's in Chipping Ongar, not Epping.

[Rambo]

The A56 Haslingden and Accrington Easterly Bypasses has a fair few old dark green signs...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69015 ... 2?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69568 ... 2?hl=en-GB this one always interests me because Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup are not listed even though you pass through these towns before you get to Todmorden!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.70194 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has been placed on a new post but the old sign is kept

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76367 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has had a large part of its sign missing for a very long time , ive always wondered what was patched over as well?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76271 ... 6?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.77769 ... 2?hl=en-GB and finally this

im guessing these are all original to the road opening back in the 1980s?

There are a few corkers in there. However two or three look fairly new and are a lighter shade of green. For example this one if you roll it back to 2009 looks brand new https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69014 ... 6?hl=en-GB

[Bryn666]

The A56 Haslingden and Accrington Easterly Bypasses has a fair few old dark green signs...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69015 ... 2?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69568 ... 2?hl=en-GB this one always interests me because Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup are not listed even though you pass through these towns before you get to Todmorden!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.70194 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has been placed on a new post but the old sign is kept

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76367 ... 2?hl=en-GB This has had a large part of its sign missing for a very long time , ive always wondered what was patched over as well?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.76271 ... 6?hl=en-GB

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.77769 ... 2?hl=en-GB and finally this

im guessing these are all original to the road opening back in the 1980s?

There are a few corkers in there. However two or three look fairly new and are a lighter shade of green. For example this one if you roll it back to 2009 looks brand new https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69014 ... 6?hl=en-GB

That sign at Bent Gate is a 1990s one from when the butterfly gantry was taken down at the A682/A56 split. The signs here were replaced in a select chunk.

[FleetlinePhil]

The A56 Haslingden and Accrington Easterly Bypasses has a fair few old dark green signs...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.69568 ... 2?hl=en-GB this one always interests me because Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup are not listed even though you pass through these towns before you get to Todmorden!

Pass through as quickly as possible, I'm tempted to say , although if leaving the A56 at that point, you would not actually pass through Haslingden town centre.

Seriously, it is rather odd not to sign Rawtenstall at least, and I am also slightly puzzled as to where traffic heading over to Todmorden would have originated to find this sign useful. If heading home to Todmorden from N Lancs or Scotland on the M65, I would normally stick with it to J9 and then via the A679 and A646. I would certainly never thing of using the A56-A681 from J8, nor is it signed as such at that point.

In the early days of my return to driving (with a rather thirstier car), the deviation of the M65 to a more northerly route than I really wanted east of Blackburn did offend me, and for a while I did sometimes use J5 and the B6232 to Haslingden and the A681 as a shorter option. To avoid the right turn in Haslingden, it was possible to join the A56 one short junction before the one in Crimbo13's post, although with no suggestion of it being a route to Todmorden. I soon gave up with this route - I never liked the junction layout in the centre of Rawtenstall eastbound, then there was the continuous crawl through to Bacup followed by the open but extremely twisty section over the moors that seemed to bring out the wannabe rally driver in far too many other drivers.

[Bryn666]

Before the M65 opened in 1984 between J6 and J7, the direct route from Blackburn to Todmorden would have been over the then A677 to join the then A622 at Haslingden before joining the A681 eastwards.

When the A56 was finally rerouted in 1985 when the Accrington Bypass opened options began to develop.

The M65 between J6-10 was the last motorway Harry Yeadon worked on, which was a bit of a happy coincidence that it was the motorway that bypassed his childhood home.

[Glenn A]

A lot of the signs on the old A1 in places like Edinburgh, East Lothian and Newcastle still retain the old, dark green signs, sometimes with the numbers unpatched, of course dating from days before the A1 mainline was moved. One such sign on the former A1, now B1318 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne seems to be a remnant from when the first green signs were introduced in the early 1960s, I believe. This would be the sign in question.

Could date back to 1965 when the green primary signs were introduced and being the A1 then, the Great North Rd in Newcastle would have been one of the first to be upgraded.

[scrogghill]

Apart from the non-functioning lighting, this one near Rosslyn Park rugby ground is wearing the years well.

[Rambo]

Found this one just north of Chester in very good condition. One of them had a patch on it but you can't tell on this photo.

ps. note to Admins - could we have this thread moved to the Street Furniture section.

[M11(A14(M))]

Although not as dark as these ones, on the new A14 approaching Bar Hill from Girton they have used a darker green on a couple of the gantries but with the rest they have retained the normal light green. Is this a test for a new green?