On May 16th, 1927, the Mayor of Bath, Cedric Chivers opened the newly-built Head Post Office. Standing proudly on the north corner of New Bond Street it replaced the Castle Hotel.
It was a distinguished Neo-Georgian design – complete with a Roman Doric rotunda.
An impressive building to also celebrate the city’s 18th century connections with the postal service.
Ralph Allen was a citizen of Bath and the man who reorganised and perfected the cross country postal service, and John Palmer – another local – who developed the mail coach service throughout the country.
It’s sad to think this main post office will be closing for good on Wednesday evening when business transfers to upstairs at WH Smith in Union Street.
One postal connection will remain in the old building. – that’s Bath Postal Museum – down in the basement.
From there, Audrey Swindells MBE writes to tell me:
‘One of the results of this (the move) is that the WW1 and WW2 Memorial plaques commemorating the deaths of local postmen will be moved to the Bath Postal Museum.
This will probably be in two or three weeks and the Post Office will then invite our local MP or the Mayor – also members of Local British Legions – to re-dedicate them.
We now have a new display of items connected with postal people (mostly men in those days) to compliment this.
In addition we would be pleased if you could make some announcements on your website to the effect that although the Post Office has moved, Bath Postal Museum is still very much there.
In addition we have received valediction for our profile submission from the Arts Council which enables us to request funds (hopefully successfully) and we will then completely improve our entrance.
However that will take a while thus any info that we have not also gone away will be helpful.’
Happy to oblige Audrey.
