Sign 2000 Helps Put Merthyr Tydfil On The Map

In the era of the Industrial Revolution Merthyr Tydfil was a powerhouse in driving the western world’s burgeoning economy. It produced more iron – the catalyst for the groundbreaking technological changes that were to hurtle Britain to the forefront of the world economy – than any other town in the world. In fact, Merthyr Tydfil’s production of iron was equivalent to one quarter of the output of the entire United States of America!

One can only imagine how these economic developments impinged on the lives of the average Merthyr Tydfil resident then. However, change is continuous and today the South Wales town finds itself in a new economic and social environment that has seen two decades of reclamation and regeneration take place in order to ensure that Merthyr Tydfil is well placed to make a positive contribution to the economic wellbeing of the local, regional and national economy.

As part of this strategy Merthyr Tydfil is undertaking a Town Centre Regeneration programme designed to provide a modern and viable infrastructure and first class transport facilities. The funding of £4.5 million has been provided by a combination of the Welsh Assembly Government, Merthyr Tydfil CBC, Welsh Development Agency and private sector funds.

Specifically, the Town Centre Regeneration project is addressing, amongst other matters, the appearance and quality of the town centre in terms of its floorscape, seating, planting, public art and street signage.

To facilitate the street signage aspect of the project a tender process was implemented to choose a professional architectural sign manufacturer and installer. This was carried out by Merthyr Council and Placemarque their design consultants. “We needed a company that had the expertise and experience necessary to bring the brief to life and at the same time having the resources to handle the project efficiently, and cost-effectively,” comments Gavin Lewis, Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council Physical Regeneration Manager.

Following a competitive tendering exercise Sign 2000 of Paddock Wood, Kent was awarded the contract.

Their brief was to produce eye-catching freestanding double sided information panels at specific sites of interest and over ninety street signs.

Each of the information panels feature a ‘You Are Here’ style map of the town centre on one side with historic information about each individual site on the other side. These vitreous enamel steel frames were painted black and bolted to the ground using a resin based anchor. This was more difficult than it sounds thanks to the nature of the local earthwork - volcanic rock known as Welsh Mountain Soil – which required strenuous digging out.

The 90 plus street signs were made of folded aluminium trays painted black with text in Welsh and English and all incorporating the logo of the martyr St. Tydfil designed to help establish the profile of the town’s brand identity.

Feedback from the Merthyr Tydfil public has been positive about the new signage. So, from the days of the industrial revolution to the implementation of this new signage system in the 21st century Merthyr Tydfil is still very much on the map.