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Underlined Text & Images are used for Hyper-Links to more
Relevant Information
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British Post De
p
ositaries
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Not as old as the Penny Black the
British Pillar box better known as the Post Box of which there are 115,000 in
Britain is 150 years old.
Having been owned by the General Post
Office, the Royal Mail and now Consignia, they accept 20 billion pieces of mail
per year including 2 billion Christmas Cards destined for all four corners of the
World.
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Found in Cities, Towns and Villages
throughout the British Isles, standing erect on street corners, attached to
telegraph poles or built into the exterior walls of country Post Offices they
are all Red.
Traditionally made of cast
iron originating in the reign of Queen Victoria the boxes have the
Insignia of the present Monarch at the time of installation.
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Those installed during the brief
reign of Edward VIII had the doors bearing his Insignia replaced, although some
do remain as a challenge for the devout enthusiasts.
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The Victorian love of casting for economics production
has stood the test of time, with 365 design variations having been produced since
the first was installed by Anthony Trollope on Guernsey in 1852.
The oldest Pillar Box remaining in the British Isles
being 150 years old next year and the oldest wall box was installed in Charles
Dickens' home six years later in 1859.
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To commemorate this milestone in Postal History the
English Heritage have come to an agreement with the with Consignia that all
existing 'Royal Mail' Post Boxes will be maintained in there present location.
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A very rare combination of Post and Telephone Box can
be found outside the Metro Station of Whitley Bay on North Tyneside.
A double Post Box has been built into a Telephone Box a
remnant from the days when the General Post Office (G.P.O.) also managed the
Telecommunications of Great Britain.
Click on Image for a List Of North Country Heritage Sites
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