The handmade sign for Brunstead also known, somewhat confusingly, as Brumstead had stood proudly at the entrance to the village for more than 30 years before vanishing in 2018, leaving residents devastated.
Now, thanks to the honesty of a Lincolnshire antiques dealer, the sign looks set to return home.
Andy Whitmell, who runs a workshop in Grimsby, said he bought the sign for £80 at a large antiques fair last year, unaware of its past. After later researching the name and stumbling across a local news article about the theft, he realised its significance.
“I read that the villagers were absolutely devastated and really upset,” Mr Whitmell said. “If someone had stolen my sign, I would have felt the same. I would really just love to give it back I really would.”
Mr Whitmell contacted Humberside Police, who in turn reached out to the newspaper to confirm they were looking into the matter.
The distinctive wooden sign, about three feet across, once stood on the roadside between Stalham and Walcott. Its design a man with a horse drawn rake was inspired by Brunstead’s former pub, The Orchard Farm.
Brunstead, near Stalham, has a population of just 65 people. A parish council spokeswoman said the discovery was “unexpected” but that the community “would definitely like it back.”
Mr Whitmell hopes its return will lift local spirits.
“Hopefully it is a feel good story,” he said, “that there are still honest people out there and that out of bad can come good.”
