Post Box; post-1859; Smith & Hawkes, Birmingham. Set into wall beside gates to part of Welford Park on south side of unnamed road in Welford, opposite St Gregory’s Church.
Cast iron painted red with ‘Post Office.’ In raised type along rain shield at top, ‘Letter Box’ in raised type below aperture. Bears Royal initials V R and Crown – V has been ground off. ‘Cleared At’ in raised type above notice plate. A letter box is shown in this position on the Berkshire Sheet XXXIV six inch map surveyed in 1878. Smith & Hawkes, Birmingham in raised type along base.
The wall box in Welford is of a particularly scarce model known as the ‘Second National Standard No 2’: according to the Post Box Directory maintained by the Letter Box Study Group there were 52 surviving, of which 39 were still in use when last surveyed, with 13 in museums or private collections. In the context of some 115,000 post boxes in the UK, these are rare survivals – six of this design are listed Grade II. The Second National Standard boxes were introduced in 1859 and were made in cast iron by Smith & Hawkes of Birmingham, whose name is on the face of the Welford box.
The Welford box is even more unusual in that the V of the royal cipher has been ground off and two holes remain of the attachment of a supplementary item. This was probably a ‘Next Collection’ plate holder. The current ‘Next Collection’ plate holder has been added on the lower left corner of the door.
This box is of a particularly scarce type from an era before standardization of design took hold. At least four of these boxes have been nationally listed at Grade II: (1056339) Henstridge, Somerset; (1101230) Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire; (1103256) Hexton, Hertfordshire; and (1224905) Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire.
Smith & Hawkes were one of the earliest contractors for manufacturing post boxes. They produced a number of innovative post box designs during the period before standardization resulted in a small set of nationally implemented designs for pillar, wall and lamp boxes. They are particularly noteworthy in the development of wall boxes. A number of other Smith & Hawkes box designs are nationally listed (e.g. West and East gate Pillar Boxes, Warwick UID: 1364803 and 10355502, both Grade II).
The implementation of an easy to use and readily accessible postal system is a key stage in British history and one that is widely celebrated. Early post boxes from the era pre-standardisation (1852-1879) are of particular interest.
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