Printing Office, Bradford-on-Avon

As I wandered through the streets of the charming little town of Bradford-on-Avon I could hardly miss the sign painted between the first and second floor windows of this Georgian building.

Printing Office
If the sign on the façade is very basic, the one on the side is much more elaborate and interesting. Judging by the different lettering, it seems to have been painted in two stages. My guess is the older part is the one with the much more elegant letters (from 'Circulating' to 'China'). Unfortunately I haven't been able to read the top line, which certainly featured the name of the business. Click on the image on the right to see the sign much more clearly.

W...
Bookseller
Stationer
Printer
Book Binder
------
Circulating
Library
Goss [?]
[Drawing of coat of arms with below
'Bradford-on-Avon']
Heraldic China
Photographic
Dealer
Dark Room
The coat of arms. It represents the famous seventeenth century bridge over the River Avon with the lockup (two arches date from the thirteenth century and the lockup was originally a chapel). Quite a rarity as relatively few signs include a drawing.


Location: Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire / Pictures taken on: 17/07/2010

The Swan Hotel, Bradford-on-Avon

A former coaching inn, the Swan Hotel in Bradford-on-Avon has long been a favourite with travellers. The second half of the nineteenth century saw the demise of many coach companies but by the early 1900s a new clientele was appearing on the roads: cyclists and motorists, who came to discover the charms of the town and its surroundings. In 1912 members of a Motorcycle Club gathered there and had their picture taken before setting off.

The
Swan Hotel
Family & Commercial
Good Accommodation
For Cyclists & Motorists
Comfortable / Coffee / Commercial / & Private Sitting / Rooms
Luncheons. Dinners. Teas
Posting of ... ... ...

... The ... ...a..y St.

Billiards

... Hotel Entrance

This sign is particularly elegant. In order to appreciate some of its fine details you may want to click on the pictures below.



Location: Church Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire / Picture taken on: 17/07/2010