Unusual VR Boxes

This page shows boxes that we have found that, to us, are unusual in some way.  We hope you agree!

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This box on Ninian Road in Cardiff is slowly being eaten by a tree and has therefore been taken out of use.



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This box on Jevington Gardens in Hove, East Sussex was spotted by Steve who also noticed that it was absent on an earlier StreetView.  It had either been taken away for refurbishment at the time or has been moved from elsewhere.


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This twin aperture box on London's Fleet Street has a commemorative plaque to Anthony Trollope who was born in 1815 and introduced pillar boxes to great Britain  in 1852.





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This box at Bookers Lee near Cranleigh in Surrey was spotted by Steve on 30 September 2019.  Sadly, when Steve revisited it on New Year's Day 2020 it had been stolen, an occurrence that is happening more frequently to VR boxes in remote locations (see photo at bottom).





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While on stolen boxes, one of the most remote boxes we have found, in terms of distance from habitation, is near the Edstone aqueduct on the Stratford on Avon canal in Warwickshire.  It was reported in a local paper that it had been stolen 😒


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In February 2019 Karen and I went on a trip to Cheltenham.  We had heard that was a Penfold box outside the ladies College.  Image our disappointment when we found the box had disappeared, searching on the web we found it had been knocked down by a delivery van (click here for more information on the accident).  We spent most of the day in the town and found a dozen VR boxes, six of which were original Penfolds!  We since learnt that Cheltenham has more surviving Penfold boxes that any other town.




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My sister Judith came across a desktop box in Ayton Castle near Berwick-upon-Tweed on 25 August 2023.  These boxes were used in stately homes throughout the country and servants would empty them and take the contents to the local post box.  The following is from the proprietor of the post box museum on the Isle of Wight:

This is a particularly fine example of the private desk top boxes. They were made by the Army and Navy Stores circa 1902 and cost 37/6d. This one has the more unusual nickel plate. Most have brass plates. There are a few around with ER and even one I have seen with GR.
Regards
A. Reeder




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