Street Sign on Belmont Church Road on corner with Belmont Road, Belfast

Tiled street sign supported on a fluted cast iron post, located at the junction of Belmont Church Road and Belmont Road in Belfast. The sign comprises individual 5 inch tall glazed tiles, each with a white letter on a black background, spelling BELMONT CHURCH ROAD. These are set on a cast iron back plate with blank tiles filling extra space on the lower row. The sign's perimeter is formed from moulded black tiles, restrained with a wrought iron strap. The sign itself is 14 inches high, with width varying according to the number of letters. The back plate is bolted to the post in 4 places at the rear. The overall height is 60 inches. The fluted circular post tapers from 3 inches wide at the top to 3.25 inches at an octagonal base, which features a projecting ring at top and bottom. The base is now buried within the tarmac footpath. A ball finial projects above the tiled sign.

This is a fine example of street furniture erected in the early twentieth century by Belfast Corporation, probably to help passengers locate their stops on the city's tram system. Evidence suggests that prior to the early 1900s there was little uniformity in street signage, with styles varying from street to street. Belfast Corporation's Police Committee established a sub-committee in late 1904 to investigate standardisation. The group initially decided upon enamel signage, but in July 1907 this was rescinded. Councillors agreed that tile street signs should be used in leading thoroughfares and iron signs in other streets, and prohibited the erection of hanging or projecting signs on main arteries. This drive towards uniformity was prompted by the city's rapid growth and the need for legible street markers. It was likely furthered by the Corporation's takeover and electrification of the tram system in 1905, as many passengers needed clear identifiers for the roads along their journey.

The regularity of surviving signs—distinguished by distinctive sans serif lettering and fluted cast iron columns with ball finials—indicates that all are Corporation installations of 1907 or later. Belmont Church Road was laid out in the early 1870s. The signs at both ends of the northern section of the road were likely installed in or after 1907, but before approximately 1930. Cast iron columns began to be superseded by square section concrete posts around the early 1930s. This concrete version was in use along newly-developed streets by 1951, and tenders for glazed tile sign letters were still being advertised by the Corporation until late 1955.

Although the tram system ceased to operate many years ago, these prominently positioned signs continue to serve a useful function for today's public transport passengers. They are of historic interest to the citizens of Belfast and form part of the city's rich legacy of cast iron street furniture, which includes Parliamentary Boundary Posts, Post Boxes and Telephone Kiosks. This example has group value with other nearby listed street signs at Massey Avenue and Earlswood Road.