Letter Box Study Group

2026 – THE LBSG’S GOLDEN JUBILEE

It is 50 years since the Letter Box Study Group, the acknowledged authority on UK roadside post boxes, began its work creating detailed records of the bright red hallmarks of the UK landscape.

The Group is marking the occasion in two main ways. March saw the publication of a special edition of its Newsletter, the 200th. Among other things, the 200th Newsletter features an interview with Jean Farrugia, a pioneer of post box research and first President of the Group. Her seminal book, published in 1969 and titled ‘The Letter Box – A History of Post Office Pillar and Wall Boxes’ laid foundations for the comprehensive and ongoing work of the LBSG.

Second, a celebration atmosphere will surround the Group’s annual meeting in October, near Leamington Spa, the town where the founders first gathered. The Spring Newsletter included details of a circular walk, taking in notable post boxes, around Leamington Spa.

Andrew R Young. LBSG Chair, said: “It was, surely, beyond the dreams of our three founders that they were creating a Group that would grow and thrive, and now be celebrating its Golden Jubilee year.”

“These first fifty years have seen the LBSG become an authoritative and respected organisation. At the same time, we have always been a friendly Group, making new members feel welcome and readily offering any help they need, whatever the level of their interest.”

BEGINNINGS

The Group was started in 1976. Following correspondence in the philatelic press, Ian Wilkinson, Loudon Morton and Ron Hall met to discuss the possibility of setting up a group to study the history and development of the letter box. Subsequently a notice was placed in a philatelic magazine inviting others with an interest to make contact.

The founders thought they would have done well if they managed to attract as many as 15 members. Five decades later nearly 4000 individuals have held a membership for at least a year and around 500 people are currently accredited.

DETAIL IN THE DATA

In 1976 no listing of box types existed and there were no records of individual box locations. Now the LBSG Directory is heading towards a target of 120,000 records. Meanwhile, the comprehensive full colour ‘Guide to British Letter Boxes’ is nearing completion.

Half a century of dedicated effort led the LBSG to uncover around 800 different varieties of post box, with the three obvious categories of pillar box, wall box and lamp box. Many of 800 different types of pillar box are cylindrical but some are rectangular, or oval shaped, or hexagonal. Wall boxes and lamp boxes also come in different shapes and sizes.

The vast majority are red but the LBSG knows about rarer green ones and boxes painted gold in honour of the gold-medal winning British Olympian and Para-Olympians from the Games held in London in 2012.

Thanks to the LBSG, we know that most post boxes are made of cast iron, but the Group has also identified specimens made of sheet steel, plastic, and wood with a metal and enamel facing plate. There are 170 boxes bearing the monarchical cipher from the short 1936 reign of Edward VIII, of which 141 are still in use. Around two-thirds of the total bear the imprint of the late Queen Elizabeth. About one in ten of those – 7000 – are in Scotland and marked with a Scottish Crown rather than the EIIR of those in the rest of the country, acknowledging that the Tudor Queen Elizabeth came before the unification of 1603.

By early summer 2026 there were about 160 boxes bearing the cipher of King Charles III, including one in Antarctica. This number is rising as new boxes are commissioned, a fact that points to the constant change in the post box estate. Other changes come as boxes, for example, are converted to accept small parcels and are powered by a solar panel mounted on the top.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Royal Mail has an obligation to see that 98 per cent of the population has a post box within half a mile of their location. The Joint Policy Statement by Royal Mail and Historic England produced with LBSG advice, gives full guidance around the installation and maintenance of post boxes.

During Covid, LBSG information was used by the Royal Mail to identify boxes big enough to accept NHS testing kits.

50 YEARS OF SURVEYS

The LBSG is an independent volunteer group, and a registered charity. It uses its data to help Royal Mail, and other institutions, make decisions around heritage issues. In addition, the Group has produced educational materials for Key Stages 1 and 2.

New members are always welcome. The annual subscription is £34 with joining details to be found on this website. Members receive a quarterly full-colour Newsletter which gives regular insights into aspects of the expertise including distinguishing features of different varieties of box. It helps coordinate the accumulation of data by individual volunteers and associated interests such as the collections of miniatures.