Blog » Letterbox Info » A History of the British Letterbox

A History of the British Letterbox

The majority oh houses and flats in Britain have a letterbox opening.

This can be either horizontal or vertical. The majority of letter boxes in Britain utilize the horizontal opening.

Vertical letterboxes tending to be used in iron railings and doors with narrow vertical wooden frames. But we have not always had letterbox openings in our homes, these only started coming about in the late 1840's when the post office encouraged households to fit a letterbox opening of some kind.

Prior to this the postman would have to knock and patiently wait for the occupier to answer and collect their mail.

Posts from Letterbox Info

Metal Post Boxes

Advantages of Metal Post Boxes Solid and robust More secure Coated in a durable powder coat enamel Water tighjt Supplied with 2 Keys Metal is the preferred choice for the manufacture of post boxes. Mail boxes are manufactured from a variety of metal. Postboxes can be made from normal or stainless steel to having their front and b...

Imitation Postboxes

  Today, there are many novelty postboxes, made into all manner of items such as salt and pepper pots,   

Pets and Mail

Putting a mailbox through a wall The old saying is that a dog is man’s best friend. While this may be true most of the time, there is one exception to the rule: postmen. For some reason, known only perhaps to our furry four-legged friends, some dogs seem to have a deep disliking of the local postie (or indeed anyone in uniform), and some c...

Benefits of Rear Retrieval Postboxes for Dog Owners

The benefits of a rear retrievel Postbox for dog owners We have all seen the movies where Fido, the loyal and faithful canine companion of the household, hears the familiar sound of the postman walking up the pathway to deliver the post. Fido, wanting to please his master (hoping for a doggie treat), decides to retrieve the mail in the only way...

Benefits of large Mailboxes

The benefits of Large Mailboxes Over the past few years the type of mail we receive has changed considerably. Gone are the days of simply receiving postcards and small letters; now our letterboxes are filled with A4 size envelopes, magazines, newspapers, small packets and even medium to large sized parcels. With websites such as eBay and Amazon...

The Post Office Delivery to your Mailbox

The Post Office Delivery to your Postbox As part of its mandate, the Royal Mail is duty bound to deliver your post to your mailbox and, as part of their privacy policy, it is illegal for them to knowingly deliver your mail to somebody else’s address without your express permission. To help facilitate the delivery of your mail, it is the...

English Postboxes

The traditional English pillar box   Shown on the left is the tradional pillar box most of us recognise today. The postbox one pictured is located in a village called Bradwell, just outside Great Yarmouth.  There are no records of the first pillar boxes erected in Britian but what is known is that the designs var...

Replica Postboxes

        Replica postboxes are used in a wide variety of applications and locations, this replica of the conventional pillar box which is still widely used around Great Britian was pictured in Potters Holiday Village near Great Yarmouth. Although pillar boxes are in demise, the nostalga surrounding the...

Mailboxes in the USA

Mailbox Collection The American mailboxes shown on the left are located in the proximity of the Brooklin bridge in New York.   The picture to the left shows two American mailboxes. The mailboxes are for pedestrian use whilst an alternative is shown on the right for the busy motorist. The blue mailbox...

A History of the British Letterbox

The majority oh houses and flats in Britain have a letterbox opening. This can be either horizontal or vertical. The majority of letter boxes in Britain utilize the horizontal opening. Vertical letterboxes tending to be used in iron railings and doors with narrow vertical wooden frames. But we have not always had letterbox openings in our hom...

Cast Aluminium Post Boxes

KEY FEATURES Solid aluminium front and rear castings Rust free Coated in a durable powder coat enamel Water tight Supplied with 2 Keys Lettasafe manufacture letterboxes with 100% front and rear castings. The letter plate and rear access door of the mailbox are also cast from solid aluminium. The postbox centre sleeve is made from...

Sending Mail has not become irrelevant

Sending Mail Has Not Become Irrelevant Yes, it cannot be denied that we are in the age of digital technology. The fastest way to send a message to someone is either by cellular phone or email. Nobody bothers to put pen to paper anymore. Or perhaps many still do? Think again. Mail is still the preferred mode of communication for those witho...