Post boxes in the UK

Contents

• Overview
• Types
• Eras
  • Victoria
  • Edward VII
  • George V
  • Edward VIII
  • George VI
  • Elizabeth II
  • Charles III
• Manufacturers
• Other pages
• Exploration
• See also
• Not post boxes

Overview

These pages depict examples of post boxes found in the United Kingdom encountered on my various walks. Unlike pylon hunts where marginally better weather is utilised, post boxes are encountered on walks regardless of the weather, so the photos are not all in the sunshine.

This is not a definitive guide or exhaustive catalogue; see the Letter Box Study Group website for a little bit of extra information. The Colne Valley Postal History Museum Post Box Listing page includes a list of manufacturer names that may help with interpreting difficult-to-read makers’ names. Unlike with pylons, this section of my site comprises exclusively my own photography and is thus limited to the types of post boxes in my travel range; many types will never make an appearance here.

The Letter Box Study Group restricts its information to members, while this website focuses on making knowledge available to the public. For this reason, I do not join members-only societies, as it would create a conflict of interest in terms of learning knowledge that then cannot be shared. These pages cover only the post boxes observed and photographed first-hand.

Please consider all the photographs in this section of the site to be in the public domain.

Types

• Pillar boxes
• Wall boxes
• Lamp boxes
• Pedestal boxes

Eras

The era of a post box can be determined from the royal cypher present. The list below is not complete, with the most notable absences being the Scottish crown (Scotland is out of walking range).

Victoria

Victoria (VR, 1852–1901)

Edward VII

Edward VII (EVIIR, 1901–1910)

George V

George V (GR, 1910–1936)

Edward VIII

Edward VIII (EVIIIR, 1936)

George VI

George VI (GVIR, 1936–1952)

Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II (EIIR, 1952–2022)

Charles III

Charles III (CIIIR, 2022–present)

Pending discovery.

Manufacturers

Depicted on this site:

• Abbot Engineering
• Allied Ironfounders
• Carron Company, Stirlingshire
• Derby Castings
• Handyside, Derby and London
• Lion Foundry, Kirkintilloch
• Machan Engineering, Denny
• McDowall Steven, London and Glasgow
• Romec
• W T Allen, London

Other pages

• Toppers: crocheted decorations placed onto post boxes by members of the public
• Replica post boxes in private ownership
• Why?

Exploration

For those inspired to undertake their own postbox hunts:

• Post box map — find all the post boxes in an area
• FootPathMap — use this map to identify public footpaths and plan a walking route; railway lines and stations are also prominently marked

Have yourself a mystery tour. Take the train to somewhere new and use the public footpath map to plan a walk at the destination. Use Matthew Somerville’s post box map site to route your journey past postboxes. The map does not indicate the type, era or manufacturer of any of the post boxes, so you will never be sure what you’ll find. A few of the entries on the map are red herrings: post boxes that no longer exist!

See also

• Letter Box Study Group, founded in 1976 (largely members-only)
• Colne Valley Postal History Museum, Halsted, Essex (sadly, nowhere near a railway station!)
• The Postbox Hunter, Raphael Vignon
• Post box designations, OpenStreetMap wiki

Not post boxes

These are not post boxes. Do not put your letters in them, no matter how much their bright red colour may tempt you to do so.