post box

Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, erected between 1901-10, with raised "ER VII" royal cipher and crown motif. Makers name appears at base in raised lettering ' T. Allen & Co. London '. Set into rubble limestone wall to the south of Ballymore.

An attractive, if simple, item of street furniture that represents an early-surviving artefact of mass-produced cast-iron ware. The modest design of the box is enhanced by the royal cipher (identifying the reign of Edward VII between 1901-1910), the crown motif and the maker's name to the base, which enliven the appearance of this otherwise functional object. Many pre-independence post boxes were simply painted green and retained their royal insignia but are becoming a rarer sight and are now worthy of retention. It is located close to a rural junction, a common site for post boxes. This cast-iron post box, which is still in use, is an important, if subtle, feature in the landscape to the south of Ballymore.