28 April 2015
Jersey’s rich postal history has been recognised with the formal protection of three historic post boxes.
The post boxes, in St Ouen, Grouville and St Helier are the first of up to forty to be listed throughout the Island. Their protection follows an agreement between Jersey Heritage and Jersey Post to safeguard this aspect of Jersey’s history.
Jersey was the first place in the British Isles to introduce post boxes. In November 1852, pillar boxes, or ‘Post Office Receivers’ were introduced on the advice of novelist Anthony Trollope. In his role as a Surveyor’s Clerk, he recommended their introduction to improve postal services.
Jersey Post review
Jersey Post reviewed the use of all the Island’s post boxes in 2013. Since then, Jersey Post has worked with Jersey Heritage and the Department of the Environment to assess the heritage value of up to 180 post boxes throughout the Island. Jersey Heritage has recommended the protection of up to forty of them.
The Island’s first four post boxes, in Bath Street, New Street, Elizabeth Place and St Clement’s Road have not survived, but the Island still has a rich diversity of historic post boxes. These include pillar, wall and lamp boxes bearing the mark of five monarchs – Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II – the earliest of which dates from around 1861.
Agreement with Jersey Heritage
Director of Policy, Projects and the Historic Environment, Kevin Pilley said "The first three boxes to be listed demonstrate the charm of these small but important features of Jersey’s historic environment. They include a Victorian wall box at the site of the former sub-post office in Route des Côtils, Grouville; a George V box in the gable wall of Vinchelez de Haut Manor in St Ouen; and a George VI box in the boundary wall of the Ommaroo Hotel in Havre des Pas."
Under the agreement between Jersey Heritage and Jersey Post, the postal operator will continue to maintain and decorate all of the historic post boxes. Those boxes remaining in operation will be painted red, with gold highlights; and those decommissioned will be maintained in plain red.
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