Post Box, outside 45-57 Rosetta Road, Castlereagh

A free-standing cast-iron post box erected on the pavement outside 45–57 Rosetta Road, Castlereagh. Dating from the reign of King George VI (1937–1952), the box was installed sometime between 1938 and 1952, appearing for the first time on the 1955 Ordnance Survey town plan of Belfast.

The post box follows the standard cylindrical design established in Britain from 1879 onwards. It stands 5 feet high, with the shaft measuring 15½ inches in diameter, the cap 21 inches, and the base 17 inches—indicating it is a B-type (smaller) pillar box. The entire surface is painted in the distinctive 'pillar box red' except for the black base. Below a shallow, fluted cap sits the hinged door, positioned at the left with a raised cup handle on the right and a lock and keyhole above.

At the top of the door is a hooded rectangular aperture for letter insertion. Above this sits a removable plate showing the next collection day, flanked by the words 'NEXT COLLECTION' in raised letters. Below the aperture is a notice plate holder containing collection times and the box number (BT6 709). At the lower section of the door is the Royal cipher 'GR VI' in cursive script with a raised crown above and 'POST OFFICE' below.

The maker's nameplate at the base records it was manufactured by Carron Company, Stirlingshire—one of Scotland's most renowned ironworking firms, founded in Falkirk in 1759.

This box is of particular historical significance as a survivor from the George VI reign. While the first pillar boxes in the British Isles appeared in 1853, the iconic red cylindrical design was introduced in 1879. Early examples lacked Royal ciphers (known informally as 'anonymous boxes'), but from 1887 onwards, new pillar boxes bore the appropriate royal letters. The George VI post boxes are reportedly rarer in Belfast than those from earlier or subsequent reigns, making this example noteworthy as a record of mid-twentieth-century postal infrastructure and continuing social importance as a means of public communication.