Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

[Sun Chariot]

Similarly, there are post boxes to be found in Malta that still have a British monarch's details.

On the boxes in Republic Street in Valletta they've been chiseled off, but in several other places no-one has been bothered about that and they remain as they were before the country became independent.

Malta's still on my "to do" list.

When I travelled the southern states of India, early 2005, I was unaware that Queen Victoria era post boxes were still present. Opportunity lost...

 

[Ashley Hill]

My farther was a postman from 1970 until 2003 (retired at 65). As a youngster I could wander around the sorting office whenever dad was on duty at will. The main post office letter box was accessed by a small door adjacent to the counter. I would help to empty this and took great pleasure in grabbing late mail that appeared through the external slot and shouting thank you ,much to the bemusement of the sender.
Out in the back yard where the vans were kept was a small garage. In there were loads of recovered post boxes of various ages. Also there were several old PO bikes that I used to ride around the yard on whilst waiting for dad to finish.
During school holidays dad would take me out on his country rounds in his van. The old Morris Minors were my favourites also the Mini vans. These were later replaced by Bedford vans. There was also an old Commer van that was used for parcel deliveries around town. This was replaced by a Sherpa van and later a Dodge. The great thing about these vans was driving around town with the sliding van doors open.
Had I not joined the railway I expect I would have joined the Post Office.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Victorian variation (or, should I say, "vandalism")...
This freshly-painted VR wall box was once identical to post 1's Gosport example. At a later point, however, Sidlesham's post box door-casing was partly cut away to install a newer collection plate. Another like this, is in a hamlet near Alton.
An odd decision, given that this style of box already had the space for a collection card: just under the posting aperture!

Fascinating memories @Ashley Hill, thanks for sharing.

Hello @StoneRoad I've just seen your latest photos on your web-page in post 36. I love that Victoria box embedded into the dry stone wall - it looks incongruous!

 

[StoneRoad]

@Ashley Hill - Thanks, fascinating memories !

@Sun Chariot - Amended, Thanks for the additional / corrected information ...

 

[Sun Chariot]

Fun fact...
Post boxes show the company that made them. Since the very first boxes (see at foot of this post), some two dozen foundries and engineers have been used, including:

Andrew Handyside & Co (Derby) ***
Carron Company (Falkirk) / Carron Stirlingshire
Carronade (Falkirk)
Cochrane & Co (Dudley) ****
Derby Castings Limited (Derby)
Edward Cole (Birmingham)
Grissel & Son (Hoxton, London)
Hillsyde Foundry (Newcastle-under-Lyme)
James Ludlow (Birmingham)
John M Butt & Co (Gloucester)
Lion Foundry (Kirkintilloch)
Machan Scotland (Denny)
McDowall, Steven & Co (Falkirk)
Phensaul Brothers (Plymouth)
Smith & Hawkes (Birmingham) **
Vandyke Engineering (Harlow) *****
Vaudin & Son (Jersey) *
W T Allen & Co (London) / Allen Iron Founders

Which companies can you see on post boxes in this thread?
Which companies have you seen on boxes?

* Produced trial pillar boxes in 1852 for the Channel Islands.
** Cast the first Fluted boxes of 1856.
*** Produced some early "standard" designs, including two oldest working boxes (1856); also 'Anonymous' pillar boxes (1879-1887) cast without Queen Victoria's royal cypher.
**** Produced all hexagonal "Penfold" boxes (1866-1879) and the first National Standard boxes (1859).
***** Produced 1968's ill-fated Type F sheet steel pillar box; all were replaced due to corrosion.issues.

 

[75A]

Since this Post first appeared i've started 'noticing' letter boxes, today
I had to physically visit my bank, which is in Downpatrick, and came across this Pillar Box.
Why would a small town (pop 12K) need a double box like this?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Ah @75A , you proudly progress the precarious path of post-box perusal!

Dual-aperture Type C boxes were introduced to meet either of two needs:

1) In pre-automation years, it meant that people posted their letters based on the mail's final destination ("for Downpatrick and surrounding provinces" posted in one slot - and "all longer distance destinations" posted in the other).
That way, mail was "pre-sorted" at posting; assisting the Post Office to process collected mail more efficiently.

2) Typically in locations with high post volumes, a Type C box held more mail between each collection. Mail could post into either slot, there was no destination-differentiator - but, often, one slot was for first class mail & franked mail; with the other slot for second class mail.

Type C boxes have, over time, been resited to locations that, I suspect, don't really require the extra capacity.
For example, Chichester's centre has two Type C boxes, less than ten minutes' walk from one another.

 

[StoneRoad]

Ah @75A , you proudly progress the precarious path of post-box perusal!

Dual-aperture Type C boxes were introduced to meet either of two needs:

1) In pre-automation years, it meant that people posted their letters based on the mail's final destination ("for Downpatrick and isurrounding provinces" posted in one slot - and "all longer distance destinations" posted in the other).
That way, mail was "pre-sorted" at posting; assisting the Post Office to process collected mail more efficiently.

2) Typically in locations with high post volumes, a Type C box held more mail between each collection. Mail could post into either slot, there was no destination-differentiator.

Type C boxes have, over time, been resited to locations that, I suspect, don't really require the extra capacity.
For example, Chichester's centre has two Type C boxes, less than ten minutes' walk from one another.

I seem to recall a few two aperture boxes with one marked "First Class" and the other "Second Class" in city/town centres.
Exactly where escapes me atm.
e2a - probably Coventry & Newcastle Upon Tyne in the city centre main Post Office / main sorting office - as it was before the privatisations.

 

[75A]

Sun Chariot said:
Ah @75A , you proudly progress the precarious path of post-box perusal!

It's you that's got me into this.

Highly recommend Malta.
Went there in January 87, temperate and lots to see & do.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The oldies are the goodies...
My "one hour's drive" exploring scope, means that the oldest, rarest and most distinctive post boxes are too distant. If you live near any of the following, I'd love to see your photos!

Octagonal free-standing post box at Holwell, near Sherborne (Dorset). Installed 1853, it is the oldest active post box in the UK. It's a far smaller box than those which followed. It is also a more ornately-embellished design.

Octagonal vertical-slot pillar box, two of this 1856 design in use at Framlington, (Suffolk).

Cylindrical fluted vertical-slot pillar box, a different 1856 era design in use still at Milford-on-Sea and Mudeford (Dorset).

First National Standard cylindrical post box, several in use; one in Brighton at corner of Montpelier Road and Western Road. This 1859 design superceded by 1866's Penfold box.

"Liverpool Special" post box, at the Albert Dock in Liverpool. Designed in 1863 for the city's heavy posting requirements, it's the last remaining example, it's a unique design and with a large cast crown on top.

 

[Steddenm]

First National Standard cylindrical post box, one of two still in-use, is in Brighton, at the corner of Montpelier Road and Western Road. This 1859 design box was one of several to a prescribed set of standards - but was superceded by 1866's Penfold box..

Ask and you shall find.

Image shows a post box of a round type with a rounded crown atop in Brighton & Hove, England.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Fantastic @Steddenm and what a beauty. Many thanks for posting.
I have had that one in mind for a year; but circumstances, or weather, have thwarted me.
Out of interest - is there free short-stay parking on any local roads near it? I couldn't tell, on Google Street View.

 

[Steddenm]

Fantastic @Steddenm and what a beauty. Many thanks for posting.
I have had that one in mind for a year; but circumstances, or weather, have thwarted me.
Out of interest - is there free short-stay parking on any local roads near it? I couldn't tell, on Google Street View.

I don't think so. I'm not from Brighton I'm just here for a few days and came down by train. Not sure if it is permit parking or pay and display.

 

[StoneRoad]

Can I have a TPO ?

rsr[25] - TPO sorting van - {New} rsr - Ribble Steam Railway

By StoneRoad2013. This bright red carriage is BR 80377, a Travelling Post Office [TPO] sorting van. Built at York in 1972 . cs.rhrp.org.uk/CarriageSurvey/displaycarriage.php?Ref=S0L6BUY9DZGW8KTJ3Q7O…

www.ipernity.com

[image shows a red carriage in Ribble Steam Railway museum]

 

[Sun Chariot]

Can I have a TPO ?

Certainly counts as rarer since January 2004's withdrawal of Travelling Post Office services and vehicles from the railway!

I used to love seeing those TPO trains flash by at night. I've a few 35mm photos from the 1980s and very early 1990s.

 

[SargeNpton]

Anyone have a photo of the letter slot at Euston station that was in the wall by the side of the escalators?

I always assumed that letters posted in it dropped straight down to the basement, as there was no visible way it could be opened at ground level.

 

[StoneRoad]

Anyone have a photo of the letter slot at Euston station that was in the wall by the side of the escalators?

I always assumed that letters posted in it dropped straight down to the basement, as there was no visible way it could be opened at ground level.

The original sorting office in Chippenham had a decent sized "box" built into the outside wall, IIRC it was "opened" from inside the building - at Christmas I think they took the door off and put a large trolley to collect items !

 

[Sun Chariot]

Today's crop is from the tiny, timeless West Sussex hamlets tucked in South Downs National Park:
Victoria wall box - identical to Post 1's example at Bosham, except this one still has its keyhole cover-plate.
Edward VII narrow wall box - Tudor Crown dates 1905-1910. This box style is too narrow to include EVII cypher (see post 9's wider example), so the letters E R are instead used.
Elizabeth II lamp box set into the wall - a Carron Stirlingshire product (post 1's EII lamp box in wall, was by Carronade; post 52's GVI lamp box in wall, was by W.T. Allen).
Elizabeth II large wall box - first box I have found cast by Lion Foundry of Kirkintilloch. A near-identical EIIR box, at Whiteley, is cast by McDowall, Steven & Company of Falkirk and differs a little: its cypher's spacing and its collection plate's position.

Fun fact 1...
The "K6" telephone box in this post, bears St Edward's Crown of Elizabeth II.
Compare it to post 1's telephone box - which bears the Tudor Crown (used on 'phone boxes from 1936 until 1952).
It's apt that each 'phone box's crown matches to the monarch on the adjacent wall post box.

Fun fact 2...
My drive to the box ar Didling (a wonderful place-name!) took me across two bridges over the former trackbed of the LSWR Petersfield to Midhurst line. Opened 1864 and closed 1966.

 

[High Dyke]

Some findings during travels this year.

• Lamp box with the King Charles III cipher. Cresswell, Northumberland
• George V Ludlow wall box. Lesbury, Northumberland.
• George V lamp box mounted on a telegraph pole. Leiston, Suffolk.
• Anonymous cylindrical with High aperture. Harrogate, North Yorkshire

 

[Sun Chariot]

Some excellent finds there, @High Dyke

George VI Ludlow wall boxes seem rare, so good sleuthing.
Ditto that early George V lamp box and Victoria "Anonymous" pillar box.
I haven't yet seen a Charles III box; I wonder how many are in use now.

 

[styles]

Anonymous pillar box. With knitted decorations as mentioned up thread.

To be removed from some boxes going forwards: https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/village-knitters-royal-mail-5HjdNDr_2/

New solar-powered postboxes introduced by Royal Mail are forcing knitters to retire their postbox toppers in UK villages.

Listen to this article

The high-tech replacement boxes will have solar panels on the top to power a digitally-activated drawer, allowing customers to deposit small parcels.

As a result, knitters will no longer be able to cover the top of the postbox with their creations, as it will block the panels.

Around 3,500 postboxes around the UK are being modified, with Royal Mail calling the change its "biggest redesign in its 175-year history".

One knitting group in Titchfield, Hampshire - known as the 'Yarnbombers' - have expressed their disappointment at the change, with founder Suzy Jackson saying she was “very sad” to see a “much-loved feature of the village” removed.

Postbox topper to commemorate 80th anniversary D-Day on 6th June.
Postbox topper to commemorate 80th anniversary D-Day on 6th June. Picture: Alamy
“One of the problems is that we are really sad to lose our tops that we have been decorating since before Covid. Everyone in the village goes by it because it is in the centre of the village, and the kids love it.”

Ms Jackson was confused at the need for a change, saying the postbox was opposite the post office and that people only had to walk “two feet” to send parcels from the shop instead.

Over 250 local residents have signed a protest against the change in the Hampshire village.

An anonymous knitter from another village said the changes have upset many of the locals, with the designs working to "cheer them up on a regular basis".

"Indeed, the main reason I have invested so much of my time in creating them is simply to make people smile, in what sometimes seems a bit of a gloomy world."

A knitted postbox topper spreads Christmas cheer, as Royal Mail in Poole, Dorset in 2022.
A knitted postbox topper spreads Christmas cheer, as Royal Mail in Poole, Dorset in 2022. Picture: Alamy
Although the postbox toppers began as far back as 2012, the creative knitting really gained momentum around 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, as many picked up new skills during lockdown.

However, the recent changes to the red pillarboxes come as Royal Mail struggles in the face of competition from other delivery companies.

In response to the pushback, a spokesman for Royal Mail said they appreciated the "passion and care" which went into the toppers, adding there would still be many unaltered postboxes.

"With 115,000 postboxes across the UK, there are plenty that remain unaltered - and that will remain the case in the future."

 

[WesternLancer]

To be removed from some boxes going forwards: https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/village-knitters-royal-mail-5HjdNDr_2/

Get your pillar box listed building status to foil that

 

[weepingwillowb]

I saw this one in Matlock twenty-odd years ago, same design as the one in Winchester that Sun Chariot posted. But why is it at ground level?

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[High Dyke]

I saw this one in Matlock twenty-odd years ago, same design as the one in Winchester that Sun Chariot posted. But why is it at ground level?

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Ah, the Ludlow at Matlock Green. Although just above ground level it fits in with the panelling of the building. You do find them installed quite low down. It may have been due to the available space or even the person installing it.

 

[Sun Chariot]

That's a wonderful-condition example, @weepingwillowb and many thanks for sharing. It looks like a Ludlow-designed and-built example - compare it to post 1's example (and post 44's explanation) of Edward Cole's Ludlow-designed box.

@High Dyke yes, I'm of the same opinion. Wall boxes - where locates in former sub post offices - typically were positioned to cater for the building's layout and needs; the convenience of the public seemed a lower priority!

 

[weepingwillowb]

A King Edward VII post box on the corner of Penny Street/Marton Street, Lancaster.

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[Sun Chariot]

Another wonderful wall box @weepingwillowb and thanks for sharing
I have a "thing" for the large-dimension wall boxes - they have a presence that the lesser sized boxes cannot match

Your EVII box bears the Tudor Crown, dating it to 1905-1910. The similarly-styled EVII wall boxes, on posts 1 and 58, bear the Imperial State Crown, dating them to 1901-1904.

 

[High Dyke]

Octagonal vertical-slot pillar box, two of this 1856 design in use at Framlington, (Suffolk).

These are from a few year's ago. However, we managed to get pictures of both boxes at Framlingham. We found one on (i) Double Street. The second one on (ii) Mount Pleasant.

(i) (ii)

Other delights include the K4 combined box at Whitley Bay. Also the rather fancy box outside the Post Office at Barnet, North London (apologies for the shadow. It was about 22:15 at night)



Here are the disused stamp machines at (a) Rugby station, where you also find two VR wall boxes. (b) London Road, King's Lynn

(a) (b)

 

[Sun Chariot]

Such a sumptuous Sunday-night selection, @High Dyke and many thanks for sharing all these.
The various 1850s vertical-aperture pillar boxes fascinated me, ever since I first learned of their existence.

 

[High Dyke]

Such a sumptuous Sunday-night selection, @High Dyke and many thanks for sharing all these.
The various 1850s-era vertical fluted pillar boxes have long fascinated me, ever since I first learned of their existence.

Thank you. You may need a lie down after this further selection.

1. Double EIIR (and splendid topper). Tesco, Abingdon, Oxon
2. An E8 found in Sheffield. So far we've found about eight remaining examples, but an equal number that have been removed/replaced. However, we are working from a list in the book, The Letter Box. A History of Post Office Pillar and Wall Boxes by Jean Young Farrugia. (1969)
3. Known as a 'carpenters box', usually made by a local craftsman. This example, though now disused, is at Cuckney, Nottinghamshire.

(1) (2) (3)