Road number at the top of a flag sign

[skiddaw05]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

[Chris5156]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

Definitely not right - every block of text on a sign should be left-aligned, and those are centred. Destinations should appear before road numbers. So the road number should appear at the end of the list and aligned to the left.

Given that Norfolk doesn’t seem to be littered with signs laid out like this, you have to wonder what went on. Either it was designed by someone who has never laid out a flag sign before or since, or it was designed by someone who’s spent the rest of their career getting it right and just had a funny turn on the day they made this. It’s weird.

[Stevie D]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

Definitely not right - every block of text on a sign should be left-aligned, and those are centred. Destinations should appear before road numbers. So the road number should appear at the end of the list and aligned to the left.

Given that Norfolk doesn’t seem to be littered with signs laid out like this, you have to wonder what went on. Either it was designed by someone who has never laid out a flag sign before or since, or it was designed by someone who’s spent the rest of their career getting it right and just had a funny turn on the day they made this. It’s weird.

It probably traces back to a pre-Warboys design where the road number was on a separate plate that was centred above the rest of the sign, and has never been properly reviewed since

[Chris5156]

It probably traces back to a pre-Warboys design where the road number was on a separate plate that was centred above the rest of the sign, and has never been properly reviewed since

The dreaded like-for-like replacement

[c2R]

It probably traces back to a pre-Warboys design where the road number was on a separate plate that was centred above the rest of the sign, and has never been properly reviewed since

The dreaded like-for-like replacement

That would be an impressive level of failure, given the new signs presumably date from the bypass in the 90s. Interestingly also none of the other flag signs on the bypassed section are like this - although that perhaps does indicate like for like replacement!


Also, look at these round the corner: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.87442 ... 312!8i6656 - they're fairly rare I'd say, I don't think I've seen them in rural areas before.

[Chris Bertram]

It probably traces back to a pre-Warboys design where the road number was on a separate plate that was centred above the rest of the sign, and has never been properly reviewed since

The dreaded like-for-like replacement

That would be an impressive level of failure, given the new signs presumably date from the bypass in the 90s. Interestingly also none of the other flag signs on the bypassed section are like this - although that perhaps does indicate like for like replacement!

Also, look at these round the corner: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.87442 ... 312!8i6656 - they're fairly rare I'd say, I don't think I've seen them in rural areas before.

I'm sure you shouldn't do that for Stop or Give Way signs, since it obscures the distinctive shape of the signs.

[Bryn666]

The dreaded like-for-like replacement

That would be an impressive level of failure, given the new signs presumably date from the bypass in the 90s. Interestingly also none of the other flag signs on the bypassed section are like this - although that perhaps does indicate like for like replacement!

Also, look at these round the corner: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.87442 ... 312!8i6656 - they're fairly rare I'd say, I don't think I've seen them in rural areas before.

I'm sure you shouldn't do that for Stop or Give Way signs, since it obscures the distinctive shape of the signs.

You're not meant to, indeed. This unit is one of those double sided internally lit signs - probably cheaper than a twin light unit over conventional signs at the time. Westminster used to have many examples.

[orudge]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

There's this interesting example in Peterculter, Aberdeen.

[Chris5156]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

There's this interesting example in Peterculter, Aberdeen.

If I had to be polite I'd describe that as "interesting"

[Bryn666]

I've not seen anything like this anywhere else. It certainly doesn't look right but are they actually out of spec? And does anyone know of any other examples?

There's this interesting example in Peterculter, Aberdeen.

If I had to be polite I'd describe that as "interesting"

A93 is a lovely little junction name isn't it...

[AndyB]

I would say that the A93 example is actually quite an elegant solution in search of a problem. If ordinary flag signs had not already existed...

Until very recently, signage on Belfast's Outer Ring posted the name of the road as the first "destination." Signs in the last five years or so simply list the destinations and have A55 on its own row at the bottom, but this is very new.

[Chris Bertram]

I would say that the A93 example is actually quite an elegant solution in search of a problem. If ordinary flag signs had not already existed...

Until very recently, signage on Belfast's Outer Ring posted the name of the road as the first "destination." Signs in the last five years or so simply list the destinations and have A55 on its own row at the bottom, but this is very new.

It's not that uncommon to have "Ring Road" at the top of a sign - here's an example from Leicester - though often the number is not given. However, here's one from Birmingham with the number included.

[AndyB]

Yes, at the time I think it was entirely conventional, but there has been a move away from signing routes as destinations and just concentrating on how you might want to use it.

I think all RCS on the A55 continue to show "Outer Ring A55" but that could be because they have been replaced in the last ten years with new ones like this, reflecting that the ring road doesn't itself have any strategic destinations along its length - in either direction.

[the cheesecake man]

M60 has regular reminders of its circular nature.

I find it useful to be reminded that I'm on the ring road:

• confirmation I'm still on the right road through all the twists and turns

• a reminder to keep alert because there'll probably be another complicated junction soon

• assurance that if the destinations signed are in the wrong direction that will change rapidly as I progress round the ring road rather than meaning I'm lost

• a reminder I want to get off the ring road reasonably quickly rather than being like that Japanese bloke who allegedly spent all day driving round the M25 looking for Durham

[Gareth Thomas]

There's this sign at the start of the A338 in Bournemouth

Whilst not a flag sign, these new signs have appeared on the A2042 in Ashford...

[skiddaw05]

There's this sign at the start of the A338 in Bournemouth

Is the sign directing you to Bournemouth town centre, or 'a' town centre (Westbourne? Though I don't think it's a town). I suspect the former but if so shouldn't it just say 'Town Centre'?

[the cheesecake man]

There's this sign at the start of the A338 in Bournemouth

Is the sign directing you to Bournemouth town centre, or 'a' town centre (Westbourne? Though I don't think it's a town). I suspect the former but if so shouldn't it just say 'Town Centre'?

Indeed is it one item "Bournemouth Town Centre" or two? Similarly is this a sign for "Canklow Town Hall"?

[AndyB]

Current practice is that if it were Bournemouth town centre, "town centre" would have been lower case and centred below Bournemouth. Far clearer to have (presumably Poole) "Town centre" first, Bournemouth below it, and A338 in that lovely empty space beside them.

It reminds me of the westbound signage at M22 J1, which originally read "Antrim International Airport", all left ranged as was the then practice.

All goes to show that regardless of what TSM says about the ordering of destinations by importance or distance, sometimes you have to engage your brain and change the ordering to make the sign clearer as a human might read it.

[Truvelo]

This example on the A41 is a blatant copy of a pre Worboys sign which used to be there, even down to placing the number first.

[crazyknightsfan]

This example on the A41 is a blatant copy of a pre Worboys sign which used to be there, even down to placing the number first.

This is bizarre.