Borough of Great Grimsby Boundary Sign

This substantial painted sheet metal boundary sign once stood at one of the principal road entrances to the Borough of Great Grimsby. Mounted high on heavy timber posts within a decorative wooden frame, signs such as this welcomed residents and visitors to the borough.

The sign displays the borough's coat of arms, featuring three boars' heads and a black chevron, together with the inscription "First Charter Granted – 1201", commemorating the granting of Great Grimsby's first royal charter.

Boundary signs of this distinctive design were in use by at least 1960 and remained a familiar feature of the town for many years. Following local government reorganisation on 1 April 1996, the Borough of Great Grimsby was abolished and became part of the newly created North East Lincolnshire Council. The old "Borough of Great Grimsby" signs were subsequently replaced by gateway signs bearing the words "Town of Great Grimsby".

Today, this sign is a tangible reminder of Great Grimsby's former borough status and of the civic identity once proudly displayed at the town's boundaries.

From the Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum collection.