For this project we worked with the the council Leisure and Culture division to develop the themes, stories and viewpoints for interpretative signs. The museum's researcher had identified images and draft texts that we developed. We re-structured and re-wrote the drafts, found new images and sought out fresh ways of presenting content – helping the displays to reach out to local people.
Seven Welcome signs show a map of the trail route, with venues.
Many of the signs have a simplified version the the trail map.
The suite of signage types. Signs embedded in resin, finished in oak.
Watercolour illustrations replace pictures at the Old Chancel.
Virtually all of the interpretation signs have an Explore and discover section, and there are Explore and discover – Activity signs in the countryside, too. Our proposal was to encourage people to explore different avenues, to find interest in topics that stood apart from the main content of a sign.
Plaques and commemorative signs
Bell making
Each of these Explore and discover topics is unique. When we reviewed St Luke's church, in Cannock, we found the original bell maker, the John Taylor Bellfounry in Loughborough, which has a museum of its own. With the help of our contact at the museum we developed a short story about bellmaking with pictures of a bell being cast.
Our Explore and discover section for Mill Green, in Cannock, was the plaques and commemorative signs that can be found throughout the town. These plaques tell the story of an impressive and innovative fresh water supply to the people of Cannock.
Touch a tree. Whose track is that?
A beak for tearing and a beak for probing. Which creepy crawlies eat others?
Our Activity Post interpretation aims to get people looking, touching and engaging with the countryside. You can feel the difference between one tree bark and another, and become quite adept at identiication by touch.
The rusty red pebbles and sand seen across the Chase were brought there 230 million years ago by the collosal Budleighensis river system that flowed from what is now Northern France to an inland sea north of Chester.
Can you match the pictures with the descriptions of creepy crawlies beneath your feet?
In our interpretation work for this project we were kindly assisted by the wonderful Deb Martin: museums education and interpretation consultant.
