Ghost signs of Horncastle
Like many towns, Horncastle has its fair share of “ghost signs” – faded signage that still promotes usually long-gone firms and trades. Here are a few that we’ve noticed in and around the town – as well as some heritage signs advertising modern businesses.
If you know of others, please tell us via our contact page.
The Old Wesleyan School, Foundry Street. Now a garage. Ghost sign at mid floor level but obscured
Danby & Cheseldine: still just about legible on the south elevation of the Old Drill Hall, South Street, now an antique shop. The firm were carriage builders
Horncastle Farmers’ Club, modern restoration of original signwriting, Market Place
Pub sign for The Punch House, Market Place, displaying the names of Warwicks, the Newark brewing firm which owned it for many years, and John Smiths, the regional brewers which took them over in 1962
“Bank”, carved stonework, 25 High St. Now the premises of a cafe and cycle shop, previously HSBC Bank and originally the Lincoln & Lindsey Bank
The Angel Inn, original and very unusual stained glass lantern double sign, North St. Closed and now Montebello’s Italian restaurant
Lincoln Co-operative Society, North St, coloured brickwork above what is now an antiques shop
Lunn & Dodson’s warehouse, Bridge Street
Former Reindeer pub, West Street: gable end carries advertising for Soulby’s brewery, Alford, which closed in 1952
C. Twell, Wheelwright, Foundry Street. Charles Twell came to Horncastle in 1926 and retired in the 1950s
Royal coat of arms on the former Court House, North Street, which closed in 1968 and is now flats
Signage on the Fighting Cocks pub, West Street, which is currently closed
“Bank” above the door of the former Lloyds Bank, now Shone, Bull Ring
War Memorial Hospital (with the smaller word “Formerly” above, North Street
Signage for furniture showroom, now antiques shop, Prospect Street
Faded signage on former warehouse near the old railway station, Granary Way
“Batemans Ales” on the wall of the former Cross Keys pub, corner of Queen St and East St. This sign has now been restored to its original condition by HH&HS
On the wall of the Pop Inn Cafe at 12 Market Place is this very faded sign which bears the word “Plumbing” and some less readable text. A version of it can be seen in a photograph dating from c1900 advertising George Mawer’s plumbing firm
