Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

[WesternLancer]

My first close-up Charles III post box. I've seen what I "think" were CIII lamp boxes, whilst driving, on a few occasions over the past two years.

I've yet to find a CIII pillar box.

And great to see it. Not the longevity of previous types of construction I fear.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Not the longevity of previous types of construction I fear.

The box or the monarch?

 

[weepingwillowb]

A King George V pillar box on Harewood Road, Preston, by the junction with Skeffington Road. At the diagonally-opposite corner is a Royal Mail 'Pick Up and Drop Off' locker, which I suppose has replaced the nearby pillar box.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The decommissioned GV pillar box is mere minutes from my late-1980s student house; a trip back down memory lane!

 

[weepingwillowb]

A V R pillar box in Scotland - it's on Platform 1 at Dumfries railway station. The wall box is also in Dumfries, near the Ewart Library. Photos taken today.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Super finds, @weepingwillowb - my hunting's unearthed only two Virctoria cypher Type B pillar boxes: Fratton (Hampshire), Launceston (Cornwall).
That pillar box dates 1887 to 1901: from after the Victorian era "Anonymous" pillar box (1879 to 1887) and until Queen Victoria's passing.
The wall box's Crown of St Andrew and no monarch cypher, dates it to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

 

[weepingwillowb]

I was also in Annan today and went to check out that anonymous-looking wall box, which is outside what used to be the post office, but now a food shop. Behind the box, in the interior wall, is a wooden door which can be unlocked.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Seen in Frome today. Looks very crisply casted, is it original?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Sun Chariot]

I was also in Annan today and went to check out that anonymous-looking wall box, which is outside what used to be the post office, but now a food shop. Behind the box, in the interior wall, is a wooden door which can be unlocked.

Well sleuthed, B!
Did the red wall box still lack "next collection" and "collection days / times" information on its front? I wonder if the internal wooden door has had much, if any, use in recent times.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Well sleuthed, B!
Did the red wall box still lack "next collection" and "collection days / times" information on its front? I wonder if the internal wooden door has had much, if any, use in recent times.

Still nothing on the front. The post slot doesn't appear to have been blocked up, so I guess the interior door will have to be opened occasionally to check that no bits of rubbish are being 'posted,' and maybe even the occasional letter. Next time I'm there I'll put something into the slot and see if it drops all the way through.

 

[WesternLancer]

A V R pillar box in Scotland - it's on Platform 1 at Dumfries railway station. The wall box is also in Dumfries, near the Ewart Library. Photos taken today.

Great to see. Love the water fountain

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Still nothing on the front. The post slot doesn't appear to have been blocked up, so I guess the interior door will have to be opened occasionally to check that no bits of rubbish are being 'posted,' and maybe even the occasional letter. Next time I'm there I'll put something into the slot and see if it drops all the way through.

Go for a second class stamped post card sent to your home address and see what happens! And how soon it happens…

 

[weepingwillowb]

Great to see. Love the water fountain

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jul 2026 ==


Go for a second class stamped post card sent to your home address and see what happens! And how soon it happens…

Nicest-looking water fountain at a railway station that I've seen. Didn't have time to check if it was still working, the train to Annan was in.

Great idea! I'll do that next time I'm in Annan, and will report back here.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I really enjoy how, thanks to several of you here, this thread unearths an insight into our social history, industrial design and ways of living which have diminished, or gone.

Drinking fountains being a super example. I can recall only a single active drinking fountain (Winchester) in my area.

When I was a teen, I would cycle past a fabulous big ornate stone drinking-trough; which must've been for horses, when that rural road was the mere horse-and-cart lane twixt once-small settlements.

 

[weepingwillowb]

I really enjoy how, thanks to several of you here, this thread unearths an insight into our social history, industrial design and ways of living which have diminished, or gone.

Drinking fountains being a super example. I can recall only a single active drinking fountain (Winchester) in my area.

When I was a teen, I would cycle past a fabulous big ornate stone drinking-trough; which must've been for horses, when that rural road was the mere horse-and-cart lane twixt once-small settlements.

Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station has at least one drinking fountain that works (I tried it in 2025); possibly the one on the adjoining platform does too, but I can't remember if I tried that one.

Some of the water troughs around the UK are memorials to the horses that died in South Africa during the Boer War. Here's one in Martock, Somerset - https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/warmemorials/viewtopic.php?p=6232#p6232

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A couple of boxes from this (Sunday) morning. I'd spotted the wall box at Tewitfield, north of Carnforth, the day before from a bus, and thought it looked interesting. When I went there I found it was a dusty ER II box.

The other was the posting box at Lancaster Post Office, which closed not too long before Covid if I remember right.

 

[WesternLancer]

Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station has at least one drinking fountain that works (I tried it in 2025); possibly the one on the adjoining platform does too, but I can't remember if I tried that one.

Some of the water troughs around the UK are memorials to the horses that died in South Africa during the Boer War. Here's one in Martock, Somerset - https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/warmemorials/viewtopic.php?p=6232#p6232

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

A couple of boxes from this (Sunday) morning. I'd spotted the wall box at Tewitfield, north of Carnforth, the day before from a bus, and thought it looked interesting. When I went there I found it was a dusty ER II box.

The other was the posting box at Lancaster Post Office, which closed not too long before Covid if I remember right.

I very much like that drystone style curved wall.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I'm a sucker for post boxes nested into dry-stone walls ; they look rather incongruous!

 

[weepingwillowb]

I very much like that drystone style curved wall.

Nice job by Royal Mail. Was there a Royal Mail department that would have done that, or was it out-sourced?

 

[WesternLancer]

Nice job by Royal Mail. Was there a Royal Mail department that would have done that, or was it out-sourced?

Nothing more than a hunch but ‘back in the day’ I think organisations used to just use local tradesmen to do things. So someone at post office might just ask a local dry stone waller to do the job and send the bill in after some sort of estimate.

I recall older relative telling me that when he moved to a rural area the verges on the lane were just cut for the then local council by a local farmer who did the relevant relatively small section then presumably another section done by another farmer etc.
no large contractor undertook a job over whole area in that scenario.
Probably in or around a town it would have been done by in house staff.

I’d be interested if this anecdotal info sounds plausible to people here!
I guess period of my example probably before mid 1960s.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Nothing more than a hunch but ‘back in the day’ I think organisations used to just use local tradesmen to do things. So someone at post office might just ask a local dry stone waller to do the job and send the bill in after some sort of estimate.

I recall older relative telling me that when he moved to a rural area the verges on the lane were just cut for the then local council by a local farmer who did the relevant relatively small section then presumably another section done by another farmer etc.
no large contractor undertook a job over whole area in that scenario.
Probably in or around a town it would have been done by in house staff.

I’d be interested if this anecdotal info sounds plausible to people here!
I guess period of my example probably before mid 1960s.

That all makes sense to me.

 

[WesternLancer]

I don’t think anything special but this wall box is on the exterior of Eastbourne station.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Lovely location, @WesternLancer and I am intrigued at the dark green panel to the left of that fine GV wall-box. I don't think it's an early letter-deposit box (akin to Lyme Regis and Carlisle - info linked below) as the 1840 Postal Reform had already happened by fhe time Eastbourne Station was built.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Thanks - another great find @weepingwillowb 8-) Ever since @WesternLancer posted an "Anonymous", very early in this thread, I've searched for one here deep south. I have yet to find one! :) There's one "on the corner of Frant Road/Montague Road in Tunbridge Wells," if that's anywhere near...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[WesternLancer]

Lovely location, @WesternLancer and I am intrigued at the dark green panel to the left of that fine GV wall-box. I don't think it's an early letter-deposit box (akin to Lyme Regis and Carlisle - info linked below) as the 1840 Postal Reform had already happened by fhe time Eastbourne Station was built.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Thanks - another great find @weepingwillowb 8-) Ever since @WesternLancer posted an "Anonymous", very early in this thread, I've searched for one here deep south. I have yet to find one! :) There's one "on the corner of Frant Road/Montague Road in Tunbridge Wells," if that's anywhere near...

www.railforums.co.uk

Good question on that - I was in a bit of a rush and didn't stop to study it when I should have done. Could it perhaps have been a space for a stamp dispensing machine? That's off the top of my head idea.

I also saw an anonymous box in the town but didn't stop to take a picture. I'll try to find it on street view.

Here it is - Eastbourne, corner of Jevington Gardens and Grange Road - image from Google Streetview (if there is a reason not to permit a post of an image from that source mods please remove)

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[Sun Chariot]

Well spotted Anonymous box! I thoroughly enjoy this thread's "new discoveries". 20+ years ago, I'd make an annual trip to watch Eastbourne's "Airbourne" free air show; I'd sit on very end of the pier. Long before my interest in all things on this thread!

 

[WesternLancer]

Well spotted Anonymous box! I thoroughly enjoy this thread's "new discoveries". 20+ years ago, I'd make an annual trip to watch Eastbourne's "Airbourne" free air show; I'd sit on very end of the pier. Long before my interest in all things on this thread!

Its definitely a great day out to the air show (if it still has the air show)

Is that a pretty standard Anonymous box?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Is that a pretty standard Anonymous box?

There are two different castings that I know of - info linked from upthread.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Thanks - another great find @weepingwillowb 8-) Ever since @WesternLancer posted an "Anonymous", very early in this thread, I've searched for one here deep south. I have yet to find one! :) There's one "on the corner of Frant Road/Montague Road in Tunbridge Wells," if that's anywhere near...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[WesternLancer]

There are two different castings that I know of - info linked from upthread.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Thanks - another great find @weepingwillowb 8-) Ever since @WesternLancer posted an "Anonymous", very early in this thread, I've searched for one here deep south. I have yet to find one! :) There's one "on the corner of Frant Road/Montague Road in Tunbridge Wells," if that's anywhere near...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks - I'd forgotten it was only 2 styles - so that one in Eastbourne looks like one with the lower opening slot position.

 

[Sun Chariot]

that one in Eastbourne looks like one with the lower opening slot position.

Higher slot: it's on the upper beading band. The slightly later casting had posting aperture located between the two beading bands.

 

[weepingwillowb]

My finds in Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, yesterday. First was a GR VI pillar box on Dawson Road, with a parked Royal Mail van next to it. Next was a ER II wall box - I don't think the premises had been a post office, a bit too near the main post office. The ER II double pillar box is outside Barnard Castle post office on Galgate, and further along Galgate is a GR pillar box. The maker's name is at the rear of the box - Carron Company, Stirlingshire.

During the bus journey back to Kendal there was a Mobile Service Post Office parked in Brough, Cumbria, which was the first one I've seen.

 

[Sun Chariot]

You have some wonderful explorations @weepingwillowb That evocative old building with the EIIR wall box, is up for sale. It begs a viewing, if only to look at the inside where the wall box is sited!

 

[WesternLancer]

I’ve been meaning to upload these for a while.
Outside the Rochdale Pioneers museum.
Pillar box with lamp on top.
Any more information about this sort of thing?
Never been aware of that before I saw this.

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Higher slot: it's on the upper beading band. The slightly later casting had posting aperture located between the two beading bands.

Thanks for the correction

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Aug 2026 ==

My finds in Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, yesterday. First was a GR VI pillar box on Dawson Road, with a parked Royal Mail van next to it. Next was a ER II wall box - I don't think the premises had been a post office, a bit too near the main post office. The ER II double pillar box is outside Barnard Castle post office on Galgate, and further along Galgate is a GR pillar box. The maker's name is at the rear of the box - Carron Company, Stirlingshire.

During the bus journey back to Kendal there was a Mobile Service Post Office parked in Brough, Cumbria, which was the first one I've seen.

Really interesting selection there. Not sure I’ve ever seen a mobile post office.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Outside the Rochdale Pioneers museum.
Pillar box with lamp on top.
Any more information about this sort of thing?

I had a double-take! Super photos of 1859-era First National Standard post box, complete with its intact hinged-iron flap over the posting-slot.

EDIT - @WesternLancer it is a sole survivor. Its location - at Rochdale's Pioneers Museum - is a clue...

It was an experimental design, inspired by street furniture in France, to serve a dual purpose: illuminating the street while also allowing people to find the box and read posting times after dark.
Dark bronze-green was the standard post box color in 1859 (before "pillar box red" was adopted in 1874); making post boxes difficult to sight at night, without dedicated lighting.
Its design proved too complex and expensive.
The museum has a rare survivor of Victorian postal history.

The box has current collection-plate and it might even still be active, albeit in the grounds of the museum. Excellent find!