Rowland Hill, in 1840 suggested Britain should use roadside post boxes like the ones being used in Europe at that time. It took another 12 years for this idea to catch on, and then it was a pillar box erected in St. Hellier, Jersey as recommenced by Anthony Trollope, a clerk in the post office.

In 1853 the first box was used at Botchergate, Carlisle in mainland Britain. Slowly the idea spread with various designs across the country. 1856 saw Richard Redgraves ornate design become popular. These were painted bronze. A less ornate design was used for cities and large towns. The box was refined to become the National Standard pillar box

Green was the standard colour for most early Victorian boxes but it was slowly phased out as the hexagonal Penfold design (1866 to 1879) became popular, red was introduced in 1874 taking 10 years to paint all the boxes.

1879 saw the introduction of the cylindrical design and it is still used today. The royal cipher was left off the first of these boxes but it was corrected by 1887 with the introduction of the words 'Post Office' places either side of the aperture.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.

In 1924 oval signs showing the direction to the nearest post office were used on top of pillar boxes for the first time. It was also in 1924 that the first experimental Telephone Kiosk no. 4 was produced which incorporated a post box and stamp vending machine.

Pillar boxes for airmail letters were introduced in London in 1930. The first of these was sited outside the General Post Office in King Edward Street, London. Originally these were simply a type 'B' box painted blue with an oval sign saying AIR MAIL placed on top, but from 1932 they were produced with a double collection plate, one for collection times and one for air mail postage rates. This service lasted until 1938 when the first box to be erected was also the last to go.

In King George VI's reign, a new lamp box was introduced with a rectangular front.

In 1954, after it had been pointed out that Elizabeth II of England was only the first Elizabeth to reign over Scotland, the EIIR cipher was not used in Scotland. Letter boxes were made with just a Scottish Crown on instead.

A new rectangular pillar box was erected opposite St Paul’s Cathedral in October 1968. The shape allowed a new internal mechanism, which meant that the box could be emptied much faster. Two boxes could also be placed side-by-side to form a double aperture box. Made of steel rather than cast iron these boxes, unfortunately, did not stand up to the British weather.In 1974 they were replaced by new oblong cast iron boxes. These were known as the ‘G’ type pillar box and had an angled notice plate for easier reading and a rotary dial which displayed individual collection tablets. At the end of July 1980, The Post Office unveiled its new cylindrical ‘K’ type pillar box. This box, designed by Tony Gibbs, had a much smoother look and a slightly recessed aperture wi thin its door. The box did, however, retain the angled notice plate and the rotary collection dial. On modern postboxes the words 'post office' have been replaced by the words 'royal mail'.

From 1899 large oval boxes were introduced with two separate posting apertures for town and country letters. As with other standard letter boxes, they bear the cipher of the monarch during whose reign they were reproduced.