Do you know the history of the combined letterbox and lamppost on Toad Lane?

Combined letterbox/lamppost on Toad Lane

Neil Wharmby, from Rochdale Philatelic Society, is trying to uncover the complete history of a combined letterbox/lamppost on Toad Lane.

The letterbox, cast by Cochrane, Grove and Company of the Woodside Works near Dudley, had been incorporated into a lamppost and is understood to have been influenced by French design. It features no royal cipher, in line with early boxes.

It is thought to have been erected between 1852 and 1875 due to the overall design bearing resemblance to boxes of the 1860-70 period, and the disconnected gas lamp atop the box.

Early boxes had no royal cipher and were known as ‘anonymous’ post boxes. The words ‘Post Office’ were added either side of the apertures from 1887 onwards.

A local news article from 1952, provided courtesy of Touchstones Museum, says the letterbox is the only one of its kind in the town and is thought to be the oldest, calling it ‘the Lord Street mystery box’.

Gas was first laid on Lord Street prior to 1800, but had been disconnected by 1952. It is thought the lamp may have been added several years after the box was erected to assist people when posting their letters, although this isn’t certain.

Even 65 years ago, the reasoning behind the combination was a ‘deep mystery’ and ‘may have been put there for reasons no longer obvious due to the changing face of the town’.

The 2015 book ‘Mail Obsession: A Journey Round Britain by Postcode’, by Mark Mason, states the letterbox is only one of two in the world to be incorporated into a lamp post, with the second to be found in Paris.

The letterbox was also referred to in the earlier book ‘The Letter Box: A History of Post Office Pillar and Wall Boxes’, by Jean Young Farrugia, published in 1969.

On page 196, the passage reads: “There is at least one street letter box in France that has been incorporated in a lamp post. Until its replacement in 1966 a similar box could also be seen in England (in Lord Street, Rochdale); this box, now in the local museum, is a converted First National Standard pillar box of 1859.”

It is believed to be the only one in Rochdale, although another book ‘The State of Freedom: A Social History of the British State since 1800’, by Patrick Joyce, displays a black and white image with reference to a similar structure on a ‘London Street’ in Rochdale. It is thought this is a misprint of Lord Street.

Lord Street however, is no longer in existence, and was located where the current Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre lies.

The box was moved to Toad Lane on 13 May 1981 adjacent to the Pioneers Co-operative Museum, the first co-operative shop, where it remains to this day.

The very same day the box was relocated, a special Rochdalian frank was introduced for the new issue of 14p butterfly stamp, bearing the words ‘Reintroduction of Rochdale’s Unique Pillar Box. Rochdale 13 May 1981’, complete with a sketch of the pillar box.

It was the first time in the history of the postage stamp that Rochdale featured on a commemorative frank and was designed by Carl Hill (Photography) Ltd.

1,000 special first-day covers were mailed to businesses from the Victorian pillar box on Toad Lane.

Do you know the complete history of this letterbox and lamppost?

Contact the Rochdale Online News Team at:

news@rochdaleonline.co.uk