Preserving St Mary’s Church and immersing visitors with drill-free signage

Our collaboration with St Mary’s Church in Saffron Walden combined architectural preservation with modern signage design and innovative installation

The challenge: Modern branding meets historic preservation 

When St Mary’s Church in Saffron Walden, Essex needed a complete signage upgrade, the project required far more than just the basics. As a protected, listed building, the church is subject to strict regulations, making the brief simple yet specific. We were asked to deliver premium, modern signage without drilling into or damaging the historic stonework, ensuring that the final product featured no visible face fixings. 

The solution: Innovative engineering, tailored to the task 

To honour the site’s heritage while delivering a contemporary aesthetic, the team designed a bespoke signage solution that featured the following: 

• Sleek face panels: We created custom, CNC-cut aluminium signboards, displaying key information to visitors and passers-by. By powder-coating the panels, we achieved a clean, durable finish that eliminated the need for visible face fixings. 

• Non-invasive installation: To protect the church’s facade, our team used an innovative aluminium French cleat mounting system. This allowed the signage to hang securely without a single drill hole in the historic stonework. 

• Integrated noticeboards: For the church’s community updates, we integrated a secure, lockable magnetic noticeboard that was directly mounted to the aluminium panels, maintaining visual consistency across the property. 
• Wayfinding: The premium finish extended to the grounds with post-mounted parking and directional signage, featuring powder-coated black posts and matching fixings.