Pillar box, In front of 159 Connsbrook Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim, BT4 1JY

A free-standing mid-20th C George VI cast-iron pillar box mounted on the footpath in front of a small terrace of shops adjacent to Strand Presbyterian Church, on the east side of Connsbrook Avenue. It faces towards the road. This box is of standard design and painted in ‘pillarbox red’ throughout except for the base which is black and carries its maker’s name ‘Lion Foundry Co Ltd/ Kirkintilloch’. It stands 5ft 0in high and measures 21¼in/16in/17in in diameter around its cap, shaft and base respectively. Below its shallow oversailing cap, around the edge of which are small decorative indentations, is an indicator tablet holder containing a tablet showing the next collection day. To the left of this holder is ‘Next Collection’ in bas-relief and directly below it is the rectangular hooded aperture through which the letters are inserted into the box. Below the aperture is the door, hinged at left and protected by a lip along the front of the cap. At the top of the door is a notice plate holder with details of collection days/times. The number of this particular box is also given at the bottom of the notice (BT4 244). Below and right of this holder is the door lock, below which is a raised door handle. At the bottom of the door is a crown, below which is a ‘G VI R’ cipher, and below which again is ‘Post Office’, all in bas-relief. As noted above, the maker’s name is cast on the front of the base.