post box

Wall-mounted cast-iron post box, c.1890, with 'VR' royal cipher and raised crown motif. 'Post Office' in raised lettering to letter flap and maker's name to base in raised lettering 'T. Allen & Co. London '. Set in crenellated rubble limestone boundary wall to the north Coolatore House (15403114), which is raised to accommodate post box. Located to the northeast of Moate.

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 Queen Victoria between 1837 and 1901), 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 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 northeast of Moate.