post box

Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, c. 1890, with 'VR' royal cipher and raised crown motif to head and raised ‘Post Office’ lettering to letter flap. ‘W.T Allen and Company’ foundry mark to base. Set into rubble limestone boundary wall, adjacent to the entrance to The Hermitage (13400404). Located to the northeast of Newtown-Forbes.

An attractive 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 Queen Victoria between 1837 - 1901) and the crown motif, which enlivens the appearance of this otherwise functional object. Many pre-independence post boxes were simply painted green and retained their royal insignia but are now becoming an increasingly rare sight and are worthy of retention as historical artifacts. It was made by W.T. Allen and Company of London (1881 - 1955), who were responsible for many of the late-Victorian and Edwardian post boxes in North Leinster.