St Peter's Village Sign - Isle of Thanet, Kent. - Pictorial Village Signs on Waymarking.com

St Peter's is and area of Broadstairs these days. Historically a village in it's own right, it was outgrown by the long dominant settlement of the two, Broadstairs after 1841. Originally the borough or manor of the church of St. Peter-in-Thanet ( the second daughter church of Minster, established 1070, although the first written record of its present name is 1124 ), it was said to be the largest parish east of London, at least until Broadstairs became a separate parish 27 September 1850. The two settlements were formally merged administratively in 1895.

In 1920 the Duke of York (later King George VI) made a speech at the Royal Academy on the revival of Village Signs. Following this speech, the Daily Mail organised a competition and exhibition offering a total of £2,200 in prizes for the design of the best signs. In total, 10 awards were made, with St Peter's entry being judged the winner out of the 525 entries.

The first prize of £1000 was awarded to the designer Mr Percy H. Matthews of Ramsgate. This significant sum of money allowed Mr Matthews to purchase his first house in Woodford Green, East London. The village of St Peter's takes it's name from the 11th century Parish Church of St Peter -in- Thanet, and the Saint is shown on the sign. When first constructed, it was erected in Vicarage Street, by the Church yard wall, outside the Baptist Church. It was removed at the start of WW2 so as not to assist identification by invading German troops, but then re-erected after WW2 on the opposite side of the road, next to the Red Lion pub. It was moved to it's present location when the Village Green was laid out in the 1970's.