Who makes UK postbox?

Who makes UK postbox?

Machan
Machan manufactures all the post boxes for the Royal Mail in the UK, and has done for over twenty years. They shape the cast iron structures to order, making both the classic pillar-box and also wall boxes that are placed into the side of buildings.

Where is the oldest post box in the UK?

Barnes Cross
The oldest working pillar box in UK can be found at Barnes Cross, near Sherborne in Dorset. The octagonal box was manufactured by John M Butt & Company of Gloucester in 1853, just a year after roadside pillar boxes were first introduced.

Who designed the post box?

The first postbox was conceived by Anthony Trollope who was working as a surveyor’s clerk for the Post Office in the 1850s.

How many post boxes are there in the UK?

115,000 postboxes
How many postboxes are there? Royal Mail has around 115,000 postboxes across the UK.

What are British post boxes made of?

cast iron
Most traditional British pillar boxes produced after 1905 are made of cast iron and are cylindrical.

Are there any Edward VIII post boxes?

“A number of unusual post boxes are to be found in Dorset. Located in the east of the county are three pillar-boxes cast during the short reign of Edward VIII, one in Highcliffe and two within a mile of each other in Parkstone, Poole. Only 161 such boxes were ever made and about 150 survive nationwide.”

Why are British post boxes red?

Firstly their colour: many of the UK’s earliest boxes were painted green to blend in with the landscape, but were repainted the famous ‘pillar box red’ by 1884 to increase visibility.

Why are UK postboxes red?

The Stamp of Authority Firstly their colour: many of the UK’s earliest boxes were painted green to blend in with the landscape, but were repainted the famous ‘pillar box red’ by 1884 to increase visibility. Their second shared feature is their insignia, or marking, of the monarch reigning when the box was placed.

Why are post boxes painted pink?

The pink colour is the undercoat which needs to dry before the red paint is applied. It prepares the post box and protects it from the elements before the iconic red shade is applied, according to the Royal Mail.

Are Edward VIII post boxes rare?

English: Post boxes in the United Kingdom bearing the Royal Cypher of King Edward VIII. Original examples are rare as Edward VIII only reigned for less than a year, from 20 January 1936 to 11 December 1936. After his abdication, most boxes bearing his cypher were modified or replaced.

How rare are Victorian post boxes?

A very rare find There are about 11,500 postboxes in the UK, and nearly all of them have a royal cypher embossed on the front. Over half carry the emblem of the Queen, “EIIR”; there are a surprisingly large number of boxes from Victoria’s reign – ones with a spidery “VR” cypher make up 6 per cent.

What does VR stand for on post boxes?

Victoria Regina
VR stands for Victoria Regina, regina being latin for queen, denoting that Queen Victoria was monarch when the box was installed. The cipher is the easiest way to approximately date a post box as you can link it to the monarch on throne at the time of casting and installation.

Why is Royal Mail red?

Although red is not the most visible colour in daylight (yellow is), having the longest wavelength, red appears to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Red says ‘look at me’, making the red mail post boxes very easy to spot.

How rare are Edward VII post boxes?

About 300 were made, of which 150 survive. Nearly 100 replicas, made at the end of the 1980s, have also been installed. The New Zealand boxes are the only Penfolds to bear the cypher of King Edward VII; all others in the former British controlled territories have the cypher of Queen Victoria.

How many gold post boxes are there in the UK?

110 gold post boxes
The honour was also given to the Paralympic athletes and so Britain now has 110 gold post boxes. Britain’s post boxes were originally painted green, but they’ve been pillar box red since the 1870s.