post box

Wall-mounted cast-iron postbox, erected c. 1895, with 'VR' royal cipher and 'Post Office' in raised lettering to hood. Maker's mark 'W.T. Allen' to frame. Set into rubble granite wall.

Located in a residential suburban area, this attractive piece of street furniture remains in active use. The raised royal cipher, VR for Queen Victoria (Victoria Regina) demonstrates the decorative detailing which was incorporating into mass-produced ironwork at the time of its casting, and enlivens an otherwise functional object. The cipher, the design of the box, and the maker's mark of W.T. Allen of London date this wall-mounted box to between 1887 and 1901.