Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

[Sun Chariot]

The early boxes show different thinking in "practical" ways to protect precious post from the elements and from thieves:
- vertical posting-aperture on the fluted styles (Warwick's box is on post 137),
- hinged flap over the aperture, on the First National Standard design (on posts 275 and 299; also the now-removed flap on Brighton's, post 71).

The latter was likely more expensive and less sturdy, than the "peaked cap" casting we see on pillar boxes, wall boxes and lamp boxes. It seems a bit of a finger trap, which is why I am surprised - and very pleased - to see it still on the Worlds End First National Standard box.

EDIT: wall boxes tell a similar story...
Compare three same-design VR wall boxes, seen on posts 1 (Gosport), 63 (Sidlesham) and 299 (Rudley Mill): you'll notice Gosport box still has its original protective flap located inside its posting-aperture. A finger-trap: it's likely why the flaps had been removed on the other wall boxes.

 

[WesternLancer]

The early boxes show different thinking in "practical" ways to protect precious post from the elenents and from thieves:
- vertical posting-aperture on the fluted box (Warwick's is on post 137),
- hinged flap over the aperture, on the First National Standard design (on posts 275 and 299; also the now-removed flap on Brighton's, post 71).

The latter was likely more expensive and less sturdy, than the "peaked cap" casting we see on pillar boxes, wall boxes and lamp boxes. It seems a bit of a finger trap, which is why I am surprised - and very pleased - to see it still on the Worlds End First National Standard box.

EDIT: wall boxes tell a similar story...
Compare three same-design VR wall boxes, seen on posts 1 (Gosport), 63 (Sidlesham) and 299 (Rudley Mill): you'll notice Gosport box still has original protective flap located inside its posting-aperture. A finger-trap - and it explains why the flaps had been removed on the other wall boxes.

Thanks - yes all good points and I've looked again at those pics

Meanwhile - just linking a thread I've posted to ask people about the Postal Museum, as I've never been - occurs to me that worth posting it here for regulars on this thread - who may have been to it and have thoughts on it. Link to that here:

Mail Rail and the Postal Museum - is it worth a visit

Hi all Can't find an up to date thread on Mailrail (the post office underground railway now open for visits - to travel on). But I'm guessing some people here have probably visited. Would people recommend it, are the permanent exhibitions good, and is the journey on the underground railway...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Sun Chariot]

Meanwhile - just linking a thread I've posted to ask people about the Postal Museum, as I've never been - occurs to me that worth posting it here for regulars on this thread - who may have been to it and have thoughts on it.

Good idea. I missed out on seeing Mail Rail when it was 'live': occasionally opened to public (London Open House / special admission) - and, despite living 12 years in central London, I failed to visit the Postal Museum!


Fun fact...
Thanks to you, wonderful readers, this thread has photos of some of the oldest UK post boxes still in use:
(1856) Fluted (Smith & Hawkes),
(1859) First National Standard, Type A + Type B (Cochrane),
(1872) Penfold, Type B (Cochrane),
(1879-1887) "Anonymous", Type A + Type B (Handyside)

Other "gems" are out there - some are mentioned in this post six months ago. Can you help us hunt the highly-historical?

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

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...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[weepingwillowb]

In Penrith this afternoon. The pillar box is on Castlegate, and the wall box is on Platform 1, Penrith Station. The same collection dates and times for both.

The pillar box is filthy, especially the back, and needs a re-paint. Maybe it's being left as it's going to be replaced by a new box?


I asked one of the station staff if there were ever any letters collected from the box, and she said that the staff used it sometimes.

 

[madannie77]

That pillar box in Penrith got a repaint a few years ago. I would have said two years ago but at my age the years all seem to merge. It was a shock seeing it shiny, as prior to that repaint it was truly filthy, not showing much sign of being red with a black base.

Not too far away, at the bottom of Botchergate in Carlisle is this large box. Not sure what used to be to the left of it, but above is a plaque commemorating the siting of the first post box in mainland Britain in 1853.

I had to get three separate shots as the only way to get all three bits in one shot was to stand in the middle of the road, which I was mot inclined to do!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Wonderful finds, @madannie77 and @weepingwillowb
That slender wooden baton fixed in the old post office wall at Botchergate in Carlisle, makes me think it is a cover; on what was once similar to that at Lyme Regis - link below.
The positioning of the George VI wall box, a far later addition, makes sense: the orignial wood slit would have had a secure box / chest under it inside the post office; so there was likely enough space there, to install the GVI box.

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

 

[75A]

The 21st Century comes to Northern Ireland.
I passed one of these in Ravenhill (Belfast) last week but couldn't stop because it was in the rush hour.
Today I went shopping and came across this one in Ballymote (Downpatrick), whatever next?

Sorry i'm not clever enough to rotate the picture, but if you left click it, problem solved.

 

[Sun Chariot]

That's a first: a "skewed" solar panel. The 20+ examples I've seen, south Hampshire and West Sussex, all have their cap-mounted solar panel fitted facing straight forward or facing straight backward.

 

[75A]

That's a first: a "skewed" solar panel. The 20+ examples I've seen, south Hampshire and West Sussex, all have their cap-mounted solar panel fitted facing straight forward or facing straight backward.

Tis Ireland.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Here's the 'topper' on the box with a solar panel outside Kendal Post Office. Is permission required before a topper can be put on a box?

 

[Sun Chariot]

That topper is a canny solution to ensure:
a) the solar panel charges the parcel drop-off circuitry; and
b) the topper won't fall foul of Royal Mail's criteria* - which would mean the topper's removal by a Postal worker.
So it's safe!

* Royal Mail is, generally, supportive of the toppers adding colour and a community spirit. Toppers must follow clear criteria - a topper must not block posting-aperture, or post box's door, or solar panel; and it must not block any on-box informaton; and it must not contain any sharp or hazardous material; and it must be secure in a non-damaging method.

 

[weepingwillowb]

That topper is a canny solution to ensure:
a) the solar panel charges the parcel drop-off curcuitry; abd
b) the topper won't fall foul of Royal Mail's criteria* - which would mean the topper's removal by a Postal worker.
So it's safe!

* Royal Mail is, generally, supportive of the toppers which all colour and a community spirit. Toppers must follow clear criteria - a topper must not block posting-aperture, or post box's door, or solar panel; it must not block any on-box informaton; it must not contain any sharp or hazardous material; and it must be secure in a non-damaging method.

Thank you, good to know.

My father was a GPO employee, but on the telephones side.

 

[chipbury]

Seen in Ashburton, Devon yesterday. The in wall box.

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Seen in Torquay yesterday, the free standing box with 1980’s(?) font sign on top. Looks the same corporate image as used on the TPO’s (travelling post offices).

 

[Sun Chariot]

Marvellous finds, @chipbury and thanks for sharing.

Yes, that wooden baton next to the wall box makes me think it's similar to that shown in post 305 (explained in post 306).

That mid-1980s font directional sign is super - and an earlier post (link below) has a "PODS" link to a website with several superb variations, including mid-1980s.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

Here's one in Chichester's gloom today. Its solar panel cap is fitted the opposite way round to the example in post 101. I'll try the one in Emsworth on a better day. Thanks. That’s interesting to see. Mind you I hope the Victorian era ones near me don’t get that treatment.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[WesternLancer]

That pillar box in Penrith got a repaint a few years ago. I would have said two years ago but at my age the years all seem to merge. It was a shock seeing it shiny, as prior to that repaint it was truly filthy, not showing much sign of being red with a black base.

Not too far away, at the bottom of Botchergate in Carlisle is this large box. Not sure what used to be to the left of it, but above is a plaque commemorating the siting of the first post box in mainland Britain in 1853.

I had to get three separate shots as the only way to get all three bits in one shot was to stand in the middle of the road, which I was mot inclined to do!

View attachment 204311
View attachment 204312
View attachment 204313

Nice to see those pics.

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Seen in Ashburton, Devon yesterday. The in wall box.

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Seen in Torquay yesterday, the free standing box with 1980’s(?) font sign on top. Looks the same corporate image as used on the TPO’s (travelling post offices).

V interesting. Never seen a modern era version of the old oval enamel signs on top of post box like that. Well 1980’s modern maybe.

I wonder how common they were/ are?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2026 ==

Recent images from Malham Yorks.

I was interested that the old wall box seemed to be disused and replaced on the other side of the road with a modern tin one on a pole.
The general view shows them in relation to each other.
On the face of it I could see no reason for this.

Road sign image added for interest despite being off topic…

 

[Sun Chariot]

I do like the introduction of "retro repro" UK road signs - full credit to those councils and regional bodies responsible for funding and installing them.
@WesternLancer thanks for sharing Malham's, conplete with Yorkshire West Riding legend at top and the Ordnance Survey grid-reference at bottom.

 

[WesternLancer]

I do like the introduction of "retro repro" UK road signs - full credit to those councils and regional bodies responsible for funding and installing them.
@WesternLancer thanks for sharing Malham's, conplete with Yorkshire West Riding legend at top and the Ordnance Survey grid-reference at bottom.

Thanks. So not an original survivor then? I didn’t scrutinise it close up.
It looked highly appropriate there.

 

[Sun Chariot]

@WesternLancer great shot of the wall box and new replacement lamp box. The reason for replacement could be either of:
a) The wall box's carcass has deteriorated.
b) The current property-owner of the wall in which wall box is situated, requested for the wall box's removal. Post 254 (link) explains.

Post your Post Boxes! (Photos and fun facts)

The building's no longer there, but the box still is...

www.railforums.co.uk

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2026 ==

Thanks. So not an original survivor then? I didn’t scrutinise it close up.
It looked highly appropriate there.

The Hampshire and West Sussex signs, are modern-ish. I've seen a very few originals down here: smaller lettering and of slightly different font.

 

[weepingwillowb]

This pillar box is outside Lancaster Town Hall, but what was the groove on top for?

 

[WesternLancer]

This pillar box is outside Lancaster Town Hall, but what was the groove on top for?

View attachment 204723

It looks a bit different to the fixings for the oval enamel direction to post office sign eg post 214.
That was my first thought however.

 

[weepingwillowb]

It looks a bit different to the fixings for the oval enamel direction to post office sign eg post 214.
That was my first thought however.

I had a go at comparing them, but if a Post Office sign had been removed, why the groove?

Nice to see those pics.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2026 ==


V interesting. Never seen a modern era version of the old oval enamel signs on top of post box like that. Well 1980’s modern maybe.

I wonder how common they were/ are?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2026 ==

Recent images from Malham Yorks.

I was interested that the old wall box seemed to be disused and replaced on the other side of the road with a modern tin one on a pole.
The general view shows them in relation to each other.
On the face of it I could see no reason for this.

Road sign image added for interest despite being off topic…

Perhaps there needs to be a fingerposts thread? There are some lovely original fingerposts in Cumbria, maintained and re-painted by the County Council.

 

[WesternLancer]

I had a go at comparing them, but if a Post Office sign had been removed, why the groove?

Yes. That’s was what I wondered too

Perhaps there needs to be a fingerposts thread? There are some lovely original fingerposts in Cumbria, maintained and re-painted by the County Council.

No bad idea perhaps.

 

[Sun Chariot]

This pillar box is outside Lancaster Town Hall, but what was the groove on top for?

PODS website - linked again, below - makes mention of "in situ" vandalism to those old enamel box-top signs. Some of the photos, on the site, concur with Western Lancer's on post 214 of this thread. Seems folk were hell-bent - literally - on bending the signs to breaking-point; damaging the sign, its cast bracket and its cast fixing to pillar-box cap.

PODS

So... my first thought, after looking again at the above examples, is Lancaster Town Hall perhaps had a box with trialled style of cast mounting: a 2-piece (with groove for a cast sign-bracket to slide into and fixed onto); my thinking is that it might potentially have been cheaper to replace if its sign / bracket were bent through vandalism.

Just my tu'pennysworth.

 

[weepingwillowb]

PODS website - linked again, below - makes mention of "in situ" vandalism to those old enamel box-top signs. Some of the photos, on the site, concur with Western Lancer's on post 214 of this thread. Seems folk were hell-bent - literally - on bending the signs to breaking-point; damaging the sign, its cast bracket and its cast fixing to pillar-box cap.

PODS

So... my first thought, after looking again at the above examples, is Lancaster Town Hall perhaps had a box with trialled style of cast mounting: a 2-piece (with groove for a cast sign-bracket to slide into and ve fixed onto); my thinking is that it might potentially have been cheaper to replace if its sign / bracket were bent through vandalism.

Just my tu'pennysworth.

I thought there might have been a sign slotted in the groove, so that the next collection time was clearly visible across the street, but the groove isn't deep enough to support a sign. The box was originally a few feet to the left, not outside the Town Hall, but adjacent to it.

Today I went to Borrowdale, south of Keswick, and walked from the B5289 to the village of Stonethwaite, photographing two wall boxes. The first one is at the junction of Stonethwaite road end and the main road. The second wasn't as easy to find - at the pub I was told it was in the village, but it took me a while to spot it, and I only guessed where it might be because it turned out to be near a phone box - behind a row of parked cars, and half-hidden by leaves.

 

[WesternLancer]

PODS website - linked again, below - makes mention of "in situ" vandalism to those old enamel box-top signs. Some of the photos, on the site, concur with Western Lancer's on post 214 of this thread. Seems folk were hell-bent - literally - on bending the signs to breaking-point; damaging the sign, its cast bracket and its cast fixing to pillar-box cap.

PODS

So... my first thought, after looking again at the above examples, is Lancaster Town Hall perhaps had a box with trialled style of cast mounting: a 2-piece (with groove for a cast sign-bracket to slide into and ve fixed onto); my thinking is that it might potentially have been cheaper to replace if its sign / bracket were bent through vandalism.

Just my tu'pennysworth.

At initial look it looks a bit like the example with the ‘telephone’ sign mounted on or in the slot on the POD site linked.
More horizontal than oval mounted signage atop the pillar box.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Good thinking @WesternLancer - that would make sense.

Oh I love those pastoral post-box scenes, B. Superb Saturday sleuthing, @weepingwillowb !

 

[weepingwillowb]

Good thinking @WesternLancer - that would make sense.

Oh I love those pastoral post-bix scenes, B. Superb Saturday sleuthing, @weepingwillowb !

I love finding boxes in rural locations!

Not rural is this pillar box (made by Handyside, Derby & London) at Waterhead, Ambleside, at the north end of Windermere. The building on the left is the ticket office for the Windermere ferry.

Compare it to these two photos - https://www.lakesguides.co.uk/html/lgaz/LK26893.htm

 

[Sun Chariot]

Wonderful comparison @weepingwillowb The only things that have changed, are the loss of the stamps-vending box - and people's fashion! The metal railings have endured and even the ferry building is still green-and-white!

I've yet to see (in person) a post box with a stamps vending attached. I'm not hopeful of ever finding one; letter-posting volumes have diminushed due the digital-age - and, sadly, I think the vending-boxes have high likelihood of being vandalised.

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Post at the coast.
This location - by Bosham's foreshore - made an appearance on this thread last November; however, the solar position and clear sky earlier this week begged another photo!
This Elizabeth II wall box style is somewhat "squatter" than standard dimensioned EIIR wall box style.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Probably nothing interesting about this box, near Pleasington, west of Blackburn, but someone chose a very nice spot to put it.

 

[chipbury]

Now this technically isn’t a post box…
However it is a K4 telephone box with a post box. As seen at Cranmore on the East Somerset Railway.
Apologies if it’s been posted(!) before.