Anglezarke Dixon Associates

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Anglezarke Dixon Associates

Based near Brecon in Wales, we work throughout the UK, and beyond.

We are a small design and interpretation consultancy specialising in signage, exhibitions, publications and other material for countryside and heritage projects.

29/05/2026

A couple of new panels delivered to Pembroke Castle this week – interpreting the mysterious Wogan Cavern, situated beneath the castle. I had some fun working on these and the client is delighted with the finished work – 'they look great'.

28/05/2026

Another 20th anniversary delve into the archives. This little project for Brecon & District Swift Group was from a couple of years ago. I must admit I love Swifts and we're lucky to have them nesting nearby (as I write this I can hear their joyful screaming as they zoom past outside). After producing roll up banners, leaflets and other items for the group we wanted to do something for kids. I sat down to scribble a few ideas, but suddenly found I'd written a story! It's proved to be a real hit when the Swift Group do talks and story-telling sessions with children. So why not take 5 minutes to enjoy The Epic Adventures of Enfys the Swift.

21/05/2026

Throwback Thursday – time for another delve into the archives. I did worry when I started doing these that I might run out of decent work to showcase. But after 20 years of running Anglezarke Dixon Associates there is so much to choose from that the challenge is narrowing it down to just one project each week!

Waun Las is a National Nature Reserve and part of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. We were commissioned to produce signage to welcome and orientate visitors and to interpret the wildlife that may be seen there. The welcome panel is mounted into a large carved frame by Pembrokeshire-based artist Robert Jakes. It is an eye-catching feature which helps draw visitors from the more formal areas of the garden. The panel itself features an illustrated ‘aerial view’ map. We've been producing maps in this style for many years as they have proved to be attractive features, give a strong sense of place and are easy to use, even for those who are not especially map literate. We also produced 10 smaller oval interpretation signs to go around the site. They were written and designed to communicate simple messages about the reserve in an attractive and accessible way, whilst also being sympathetic to the surroundings.

14/05/2026

Time for another Throwback Thursday – my weekly dive into the ADA archives.

Action for Biodiversity, Ireland, interpretation panels.

This cross-border project promotes wildlife sites in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. Working across the border was an interesting experience, but made total sense – wildlife doesn't recognise the lines we humans draw on maps!

We were keen to avoid the traditional approach of dull signs listing every species that might (or, more often, might not) be seen. Instead we created high-impact panels with simple, but powerful messages about why each place is important for wildlife. The apparently simple designs are based around a carefully considered information hierarchy, fitting the sites and the wildlife that lives there into a much bigger picture of the importance of biodiversity and how we can all help.

Each panel focuses on just two species – of which at least one will be common enough to guarantee that most people see it. The panels also encourage further engagement, promoting other sites to visit nearby, giving ideas for wildlife enhancements you can make at home and giving details of further sources of information.

I've just picked 3 panels to show here – two from different sites in the North and a bi-lingual panel in the Republic (off the top of my head I think there were about 18 panels in total).

11/05/2026

The latest issue of the AHI Interpretation Journal popped through the letterbox this weekend. Always a fascinating and inspiring read. The first thing many readers will see is an advert for Anglezarke Dixon Associates (assuming that most people read magazines back to front like I do – surely that's normal isn't it?!).

The collaborative working and co-creation theme of this issue of the journal is something that is very relevant to the way we work. Often projects involve balancing the aims and objectives of a number of staff from different client organisations, together with specialist academics, volunteers, stakeholders and local communities. For us the process is as important as the final product – and people regularly tell us how much they enjoy working with us. We always work hard to ensure that everyone gets a chance to be heard and to contribute. Far from creating compromise, this collaborative approach often enriches the final outcome. The resulting interpretation generates a strong sense of ownership and pride amongst clients, stakeholders and wider communities. And the stories we tell are more rounded and engage with a wider range of visitors.

If you have a project you think we could help with, please get in touch.

(We'd also love to hear from anyone who'd like to team up with us on future projects. Co-creation also means collaborating with other writers, project managers, designers and a range of other creatives from our network of associates – combining our skills and experience to create top quality work.)

08/05/2026

It's Friday, it's 5 to 5 and it's errr....Flashback Friday! (Showing my age there! I was out of the office all day yesterday, so this is a belated Throwback Thursday post – showcasing highlights from 20 years of Anglezarke Dixon Associates).

This week we're going 10 years to a project for the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closure of one of Britain's best loved railways. Ten exhibition panels in the Trust’s museum at Washford told the story of the railway, including a timeline and map of the route. Text was kept to a minimum and was carefully written to appeal to both enthusiasts and general visitors. Strong use was also made of large, eye-catching images. Two more versions of the exhibition were created using roll-up banners and folding, framed panels for use at temporary events.

As with all of our work, a lot of effort was put in to ensure the accuracy of every detail of the project. The lettering, colours and panel borders were all based on the locomotives and carriages of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. It would've been easy to give the displays a vaguely old fashioned railway look – but it was important for us produce something that was properly researched and authentic.

05/05/2026

I seem to be doing quite a lot of little jobs in churchyards at the moment. I'm not religious, but I am quite fond of exploring old churches – they often have a fascinating history. So I'm happy to be involved in projects that help to interpret these places and bring to life some of the stories they can tell.

These are a few snaps for a project I'm working on at a little church called Llandetty, a few miles east of Talybont-on-Usk in the Brecon Beacons National Park/Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog. The church itself probably dates back to the 13th Century (with later additions and alterations) although the site is probably a pre-Christian Celtic 'llan'. Modest in size and beautiful in its simplicity, it occupies a tranquil setting above the River Usk. Inside you'll find an 18th Century wall painting and 9th Century carved stone amongst other intriguing features. Outside there are ancient Yew trees and fascinating old graves.

The best story concerns Jenkin Jones who had been an officer in the Parliamentarian Army during the English Civil War. In 1657 he kicked out the local priest and installed himself in his place. When the monarchy was restored in 1660 he rode through the churchyard firing his pistol (leaving a hole through one of the doors which can still be seen today) and never returned!

As a bit of a nerd I was also interested to find the grave of George Overton. He was an important tramroad engineer in the days before steam. He built the nearby Bryn Oer Tramroad, and constructed others in the South Wales valleys that played a key role in the industrialisation of the area. In 1804 the World's first steam locomotive ran along Overton's Penydarren Tramroad near Merthyr Tydfil, but Overton was unimpressed and remained committed to the superiority of horse-power. In 1820 he surveyed the route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway as a horse-drawn tramroad. But Overton was backing the wrong horse – real horses were about to be surpassed by the 'iron horse'. An upstart Geordie by the name of George Stephenson convinced the railway's board to let him construct the line for steam power. In 1825 the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened as the World's first public railway to use steam engines. George Stephenson is rightly famous as the 'Father of the Railways' – pioneering a transport revolution which changed the world. And poor old George Overton is long forgotten, lying in an overgrown corner of this isolated churchyard.

01/05/2026

May calendar photo. I love this ridge walk at the northern end of Mynydd Llangors. It's no Crib Goch or Striding Edge, but it still feels dramatic, with fantastic views of Llangors Lake and the Beacons on one side and the steep drop into Cwm Sorgwm on the other. Perfect for an after work stroll with the furry office assistant!

30/04/2026

Time for another Throwback Thursday to celebrate 20 years of Anglezarke Dixon Associates. And this time we're going all the way back to errr.... about 2 weeks ago! No, I haven't run out of old projects to highlight (not by a very, very long way!) This is actually a recently installed replacement for a panel from about 16 years ago. The client wanted to make a few minor changes to the text, but otherwise it is an exact copy of the original sign we installed way back in 2010.

The panel is situated next to Babell Chapel in the Sirhowy Valley, South Wales, and commemorates a famous local poet. The shaped oak frame and stand reflect the style of some of the gravestones and memorials in the little churchyard.

Hopefully this new panel will last at least as long as the one it replaced (I don't see why not – I work with some of the best signmakers in the business and whenever the budget allows I specify the best possible materials. Quality signage will still be enhancing visitors' enjoyment and understanding for years, or even decades, after cheaper materials have been confined to a skip!)

23/04/2026

Time for another Throwback Thursday – delving into the archives to celebrate 20 years of Anglezarke Dixon Associates. A relatively recent project this time – for the RSPB reserve at Conwy in North Wales (potentially an ongoing project in fact, as there are likely to be more panels added in the future).

These small (A3 size) panels are designed to celebrate common garden birds. Personally I'm a big fan of garden birds. Although often overlooked in favour of rare and exotic species, these are beautiful and characterful creatures. Being common makes them an easy way for people to engage with wildlife, especially if they are not committed bird watchers or have limited access to wild spaces. From an interpretation point of view they also have the advantage that visitors to a site have a good chance of seeing them (I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels disappointed if I see interpretation that is all about the rare Lesser Spotted Wotsit, but I don't actually see one when I visit!)

The panels each have an eye-catching heading and a large photo of the bird, carefully chosen to highlight its beauty and character. The brief text is written in an approachable and engaging style, with fascinating facts that will hopefully make readers think ‘wow, I didn’t know that’, whether they’re novices or hardcore birders.

Address

2 Griffin Terrace, Talyllyn
Brecon
LD37TD

Website

https://www.anglezarke-dixon.co.uk/

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