The original wooden sign was commissioned by Otley Woman’s Institute in 1977, believed to commemorate the Royal Silver Jubilee. A Mrs Hope Longbottom, who was well known for her artistic ability, was responsible for the design and her husband Ted Longbottom, a craftsman cabinet maker, for the carving of the work in oak. The sign depicted the Gosnold Crest, the sailing barque “Godspeed”, a sheaf of wheat representing corn taken from East Anglia in the ship, and the grapes from which settlers established vineyards in North America. The final elements of the sign – oak leaves, wild rose and birds convey a picture of the Otley Area. This sign received three repaints over the 35 years of existence but sadly was damaged beyond repair in strong winds in January 2012.
Village Green Signs, based in Watford, are a company who produce house signs and worked closely with Otley Parish Council to undertake the task of replicating the original sign in a polymer resin, having never produced something quite so large before. They also had the forged iron decorative bracket produced and the completed sign delivered to Otley in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at the beginning of June this year.