Hexagonal Penfold Victorian Post Box in Carshalton Beeches is Over 150 Years Old

There’s quite a lot to say about this old Penfold Post Box (as it’s now officially known). When it was first installed in Carshalton Beeches over 150 years ago, around 1866, it would have been painted green and gold. About 10 – 15 years later it became red.

It’s a much loved but short-lived design created by John Wornham Penfold, who lived in Haselmere in Surrey (the same county of course, that this box was once in).

There’s a replica of this design in London that was created to commemorate 500 years of the post office in 2016, and it was Penfold’s hexagonal Victorian design that was chosen, to be unveiled by Prince Charles.

*Bonus fun fact* The spectacled hamster in the cartoon Danger Mouse, who lives inside a post box, is named Penfold. This is to honour the creator of this design classic still in use today at Beeches Avenue.

Finally, a big nod to the post office for recently painting all the post boxes in the area (including this one). It seems so rare nowadays for large organisations to have any civic pride. A big thanks!

Additional images CBBC  and Ian Mansfield