Sharing local history - Signage in Penrith and Leicester, England

Wandering through the towns of Penrith and Leicester on my recent visit to England, I noticed that both towns have given considerable attention to how to communicate their particular history to the public. Both use signage to share information about themselves. In Penrith, outside the town's tourism center where there is a very nice local museum, this millstone stands between a sign and the creek.

Penrith is a relatively small town, historically known as a market town, at the railroad station nearest Keswick and the Lake District. It is easy to stroll around, stop, gawk, take pictures. The people are friendly. There is even a Richard III walking trail around Penrith (http://www.visiteden.co.uk/explore-eden/the-eden-valley/penrith/richard-iii-s-penrith-connections), a place this king is known to have worked and visited.

Leicester, several hours south of Penrith in the East Midlands, is much more urban, cosmopolitan and diverse. It moves fast. It is crowded and each interesting person is just another moving part of a nameless crowd. However, Leicester is also rich in history, has become most widely recognized as the place where Richard III died in battle and has recently, with much ceremony, been reburied. In addition to the King Richard 3 Visitor Center (https://kriii.com/), Leicester showcases its history using signage such as these:

This is on the fence outside the historic hall, which is still functioning in its original purpose.

New Walk, a late eighteenth century pedestrian path through the heart of the city remains car-free and full of people walking, biking, sitting on benches with gates to gardens and doors to homes and churches all along the way.

I can think of few parallels in the United States.