South Boundary Wall To Church Hill Including Gate Piers And Vr Letter Box

ILFRACOMBE

SS5147 CHURCH HILL 853-1/6/90 (North side) South boundary wall to Church Hill including gate piers and VR letter box

GV II

Wall, gate piers and letter box. Mid to late C19; the letter box is likely to have been inserted between 1881 and 1904. Wall is of stone rubble, narrowing at the top, the base of this 'coping' marked by a line of projecting stones; some of the latter have been replaced in slate. Between the 2 sets of gate piers the wall has pilaster-strips on the outer (Church Hill) side. The eastern gate piers are of coursed, squared rubble with caps formed by large, projecting slaps of stone just below the top; the eastern of the 2 piers has a plain projecting plinth. The western gate piers are of stone rubble with red brick quoins, and have later concrete caps. Immediately east of the eastern set of gate piers is an iron letter box set into a surround of cream coloured brick. It has a crown at the top flanked by the letters VR; the hood above the opening carried the inscription POST OFFICE. The door is entirely plain, apart from the holder for notices and the keyhole guard, the latter somewhat rusted. The letter box is of the type made by WT Allen & Co. of Upper Thames Street, London between 1881 and 1904; it was probably cast at the Sherwood Foundry in Mansfield. (Farrugia JY: The Letterbox: 1969-: P.84-5, 259, 263).

Listing NGR: SS5142247259