The Old Post Offices
The village Post Office has had several locations in the last 200 years, including 24 High Street (shown in the photograph).
The Post Office; 1800s
A village Post Office was first mentioned in 1848. It is not clear where it was but in 1885 it was at 58, High Street, The Rowans, and remained there until about 1890.
The sepia-tinted photograph from the early 1900s shows Lewin and Emma Heath and their children outside The Rowans. One of the children, Oliver, would later become the Park Lane baker.
The Post Office; 1900 - 1950
The building at 22 / 24 High Street may be one of the oldest in the village; it actually dates back over 300 years, although the crest shows that it was updated in the 1800s. It was possibly a baker’s at one time, as well as a draper’s shop. It was also the village Post Office 100 years ago, from about 1900 until about 1930. Letters used to arrive from Chippenham around 4:30 in the morning, and were guaranteed to be delivered to your house by 7am. If you wanted to post a letter, last collection to be taken to Chippenham was at 9:30 in the evening.
In the 1930s the Post Office was in 43 High Street, and then in the 1940s it was in the Corner Shop.
The Post Office; 1960s
The houses at No 26 and 26A are the newest on the High Street but for nearly 50 years the Post Office was in a bungalow that used to be where No 26 is.
The Post Office moved here in about 1947. Twenty years ago the sub-postmaster was called Peter Smith, and when he retired in 2014 the Post Office moved to The Bell Hotel.
Since the Bell closed in the 2020s there has been no Post Office in the village.
Can you help? Do you happen to have any photos of the Post Office when it used to be at No 26? If so, and you are happy to share them, please get in touch at:
No 22 and 24 High Street
The Rectory and 58 High Street; 1930s Postcard
22-24 High Street; 1940s?