Sign of the Year - 2011 The national winner of the Sign of the Year Award 2011 is St Anne's Castle, Great Leighs, Essex The presentation  was held at the pub on 18 January 2012 The winning sign Previous interpretations of the name 2011 1993 1980

The pub’s present site was once a hermitage that was an outpost of Leez Priory, some 5 miles away. The hermitage is known to have been visited by the pilgrims en route to the tomb of Thomas Becket (c.1118 – 1170). The pub’s name refers to Saint Anne (Hannah) who was the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ. The inclusion of castle in the pub’s name is thought to refer to the towers that adorned the hermitage. The sign shows the date 1171 A.D., which is the year following Becket’s assassination. The original building lays claim to be the oldest licensed premises in England. The ISS is most grateful to Trevor Price of Bewdley Gallery, Bewdley, Worcestershire for sponsoring the framing of the certificates.

The captions of the regional finalists are highlighted thus Please scroll down to see all regional finalists or use Quick access to each region   Index East Anglia East Midlands Home Counties London North East North West Scotland South South West Wales West Midlands

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East Anglia
EA1 OYSTER SMACK Burnham, Essex	EA2 CUCKOO Alwaton, Cambs	EA3 ST ANNE'S CASTLE Gt Leighs, Essex	EA4 CHEQUERS Kettleburgh, Suffolk	EA5 ROYAL OAK Laxfield, Suffolk	EA6 OLD MILL HOUSE Saxted, Suffolk
East Midlands
EM1 NOBODY INN Grantham	EM2 NEEDLEMAKERS Ilkeston	EM3 QUEEN in the WEST Lincoln	EM4 GOAT Mkt. Deeping	EM5 SUGARLOAF Mkt. Harborough	EM6 MERRY WIDOWS Derby
Home Counties
HC1 MILLERS ARMS Canterbury	HC2 KING HENRY VIII Hever	HC3 LOCK, STOCK & BARREL Newbury	HC4 HAND & SCEPTRE Southborough	HC5 MASONS ARMS Teddington	HC6 PERSEVERANCE Wraysbury
London					Index
LO1 LOADED DOG E11	LO2 BREWERS SE5	LO3 PRINCESS VICTORIA W12	LO4 CHAMPION W1	LO5 ROUND HOUSE WC2	LO6 QUEEN ADELAIDE W12
North East
NE1 QUEENS ARMS Acomb, N'humb.	NE2 SHEPHERD/ESS Beamsh, Durham	NE3 CROWN Catton, N'humb.	NE4 VARSITY Durham	NE5 GREEN DRAGON Hardraw, Yorkshire	NE6 CAVALRY ARMS Huddersfield
North West					Index
NW1 DEERPLAY Bacup, Lancs	NW2 WAGGON & HORSES Clitheroe, Lancs	NW3 WHIPPING STOCKS Over Peover, Chesh.	NW4 OLD HOUSE AT HOME Rawenstall, Lancs	NW5 MORTAL MAN Troutbeck, Cumbria	NW6 EASTHAM FERRY Wirral, Mersey
Scotland
SC1 BOND & GOOSE Dumbarton	SC2 ADVOCATE Edinburgh	SC3 CONAN DOYLE Edinburgh	SC4 DEACON BRODIE Edinburgh	SC5 GREYFRIARS BOBBY Edinburgh	SC6 FOOTBALLERS & C. ARMS Linlithgow
South
SO1 HORSE GUARDS Brokenborough, Wilts	SO2 POTTING SHED Crudwell, Wilts	SO3 FOX & GOOSE Greywell, Hants	SO4 STAR INN Ryde, Isle of Wight	SO5 PARTRIDGE INN Singleton, Sussex	SO6 ROSE & CROWN Tilshead,Wilts
South West					Index
SW1 AIR BALLOON Birdlip, Gloucs.	SW2 CAT & WHEEL Bristol	SW3 HOLLOW BOTTOM Guiting Power, Gloucs	SW4 PRETORIA VAULTS Okehampton, Devon	SW5 KITES NEST Rodborough, Gloucs	SW6 POACHERS POCKET Chelynch, Som.
Wales
WA1 RORKES DRIFT Brecon, Powys	WA2 HALFWAY HOUSE Bontddu, Gwynedd	WA3 HALFWAY Cardiff, Glamorgan	WA4 BRIDGE Conwy, Gwynedd	WA5 FIVE CROSSES Minera, Clwyd	WA6 BOARS HEAD Ruthin, Clwyd
West Midlands					Index
WM1 OLD BELL Lye	WM2 PEAR & PARTRIDGE Perton	WM3 NEW INN Wordsley	WM4 ABBEY Smethwick	WM5 GREYHOUND Wolverhampton	WM6 HARE & HOUNDS Wollescote

Each year, the Inn Sign Society organises the Sign of the Year award. Members are invited to submit entries that meet the Awards criteria. The nominations are then judged by region, with the winner going forward to the national competition.
The overall winner is decided by the main committee.
 

Past winners of the national award
2011	2010	2009	2008
St Anne's Castle Great Leighs, Essex	Vulcan Arms Sizewell, Suffolk	Poplars Wingfield, Wiltshire	The Park Lancaster, Lancashire

Entries are invited subject to the following conditions:

Signs must relate to pubs operating during the current year.

In addition, each entry must satisfy at least two of the following criteria:

• Exceptional in appeal and / or aesthetically pleasing to the eye
• Sign illustrates a new 'take' on an old name
• Portrays local distinctiveness (significance in local heritage)
• Reflects a company's change in pub sign policy (e.g. Wetherspoon's)
• Has a decorative frame - wood, wrought iron etc - try to include in photo
• Sign is clean and not badly weathered

Closing date for nominations is the Friday nearest the 15 October each year. Entries received after the closing date will be put forward into the following year's award competition.

Please note that signs adorned by flags, streamers, for sale signs, Christmas lights etc will not be considered.

Entries may be submitted at any time. Nominations received from mid-October onwards will be included in the following year's award.

Images (preferably jpeg format) must be accompanied by details of the sign's location, date photograph was taken and the photographer's contact details.

The Inn Sign Society welcomes entries from all persons - members and non-members.
Sorry, no prizes are offered!

The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Thank you for your interest!

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