A Very Old Post Box

See this little window? It’s not very spectacular, being at one side of the old cottage shown in the featured photo, in the nearby village of Studley Roger. But I think it’s quite privileged. It’s just above one of the oldest post boxes in the area, one of the diminishing number of post boxes still to exist from the reign of Queen Victoria. Its design means it can’t have existed before 1857, and it’s certainly 19th century in origin. So the window earns its fifteen minutes of fame as a Monday Window, and the box itself as a bonus for Jude’s Life in Colour, which this month celebrates the colour red.

Monday Window

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

38 thoughts on “A Very Old Post Box”

  1. Gosh Margaret, imagine all the correspondence that has gone through that slot over the decades… what a wonderful thought!
    I think you’ve nailed the red challenge – beautifully read and I’m sure in this case, the millions of contents were also well read 🙂

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  5. Sometimes it seems that there are more ‘in-the-wall’ boxes than standalone versions around here. And beyond thinking them charming, I’ve never thought about their age. I shall look with fresh interest in future.

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    1. Yes this type of box is common here too (I think they’re for country hicks like us). I quite like noticing their ages. Most seem to be Elizabethan. Second time round.

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  10. A little bit of useless information – When they were first installed people complained that they were too garish so they were all painted green. Then people complained that they could not see where they were (as they were often fitted on a stand against a hedge) so they were repainted red.

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  14. I think the ‘cottage’, which actually looks quite sizeable, is a fine example of English domestic architecture and is very good-looking. The post box is also a fine example in its own right, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen one quite like that. And what civilised collection hours it has! Here in London the majority of postboxes now have a 9.00 collection Monday to Friday collection and that’s it. Do you know if it was originally placed there for the sole use of the cottage dwellers? Are/were there other houses or other mailbox users close by?

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  15. I think it’s there, as it always was, for the use of the villagers (population 175). It’s on the main street, and the cottage could perhaps once have been a PO too. Yup,we only have a collection once a day. Ours is 5.15, and 12.15 Saturdays.

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  16. How sweet. It looks narrow for today’s items – more a dainty letter size. I had not thought much about their ages. And I had not thought about how the postman gets into them either. How much we take for granted.

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    1. Well. I’ve posted quite large packages in these boxes – our village one is the same size. And I’ve seen Mr. Postie unlock the box with his key. These boxes are still fit for purpose.

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  18. Another sort of a ‘hole in the wall’ ….. how fabulous to know that right under the window all these letters, wishes, dreaded news and birthday cards were travelling into the red mouth to be later distributed further. I would have loved to have lived in that beautiful stone house. So much history!

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