About Silchester

The Silchester Village Sign and its meaning

The Kestrel - local bird of prey a permanent inhabitant of the Common and representative of the wide diversity of animal species around the village and common

Ears of Wheat – this aspect of the sign recognises the importance of the local farming community in the history and development of the village through the ages

The Orchid and poppy – representative of the many species of orchids (some increasingly rare ones) to be found on Silchester Common (part of the SSSI) and of the wide range of wild flowers found around the village and the Common

The Church – St Mary The Virgin Parish Church, erected on a site with history dating back to pagan worship pre Christianity.  The church building as it exists today is largely thought to date back to the 12^th Century

The Yew tree located in the church yard at St Mary The Virgin is believed to be over 400 years old.  Yew trees were often found in village communities in history – behind a boundary wall, in order to prevent their being eaten by free roaming cattle, since their leaves are highly poisonous.

The Wall – the oldest part of the history and origins of Silchester as a settlement for over 2000 years.  The walls were built by the Romans for defensive purposes around a major market town – Calleva.  Even today, in places the walls survive remarkably intact and up to 4m high.

The Pond and Bullrushes – Silchester and the surrounding Common sit on a geology comprising predominantly gravel, flint and clay.  The ponds form where clay lenses allow water to collect and stand.  Bullrushes can be seen at some of the permanent and ephemeral ponds around the village

The sign was constructed and erected in June 2000 with funding through the BDBC Millennium Grants scheme.

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