Abingdon’s first pillar box was erected on Ock Street on August 6th 1857 (According to The Postal History of Abingdon by G H R Homer-Wooff).
There is still a pillar box on Ock Street, at the front of the Royal Mail sorting office, but the initials E.R. for Elizabeth Regina show that it was put there after 1953 – the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Back in 1894 the Abingdon Directory shows that there were half a dozen post boxes in Abingdon:
- Ock Street – Pillar Box
- Park – Wall Box
- St Helens Wharf – Wall Box
- Vineyard – Wall Box
- Northcourt – Wall Box
- West End – Wall Box
Two of those wall boxes from the reign of Queen Victoria have survived:
St Helen’s Wharf…
and Conduit Road.
The latest Abingdon post box can be found inside the West St. Helen Street Co-op. It is made from shiney molded plastic, and looks like an oversized toy.
The Victorians certainly seem to have understood the urban streetscape better than the designers of the 21st century box.
The pursuit of noisy self-display may get you noticed, but rarely gets you liked.
I wonder how many traditional red pillar boxes are left in Abingdon. Not many I suspect.
…what an interesting post!