The Glasgow Evening News has celebrated the news that a red pillar box – erected in 1936 on Nithsdale Drive in Glasgow’s South Side during the short reign of Edward VIII – has been given listed building status.
image Glasgow Evening News
The Glasgow Evening News writes:
A postbox in Glasgow’s South Side has been given listed building status. The red pillar box was erected in 1936 during the short reign of Edward VIII and still stands to this day. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said the Nithsdale Drive example was a ‘rare survival’ of its kind. It is now one of 10 in Scotland to have Category B listed building status.
The pillar box was made by The Carron Company near Falkirk, Stirlingshire, which became one of the largest iron works in Europe during the 19th century. A total of 271 letter boxes were made in 1936 to mark the reign of Edward VIII, with 161 were of the pillar box type. Of the 10 Edward VIII pillar boxes now listed in Scotland, four of them can be found in Glasgow.
Ordnance Survey map evidence suggests that the location of the post box moved from an earlier position on the corner of Pollokshaws Road and Nithsdale Drive after 1938. The Royal Mail letter box was introduced following the reforms of the Postal Act of 1839.
Historic Environment Scotland, said: ‘Like the K6 telephone boxes, letter boxes are an iconic piece of street furniture in Scotland and the United Kingdom and are recognised internationally. While a very large number of post boxes survive, the example at Nithsdale Drive is one of a very small number of boxes dating from the short reign of Edward VIII surviving in Scotland.’
