When Were Post Boxes Painted Red?

Between 1866 and 1879 the hexagonal Penfold post box became the standard design for pillar boxes

and it was during this period that red was first adopted as the standard colour. The first boxes to be painted red were in London in July 1874, although it would be nearly 10 years before all the boxes had been repainted.

Are post boxes always red?

Over the following years, all boxes nationally were repainted red. Today, just a handful of post boxes can be found on our streets sporting a green livery. There are also a number of green post boxes in The Postal Museum collection.

When did UK post boxes change from green to red?

In 1874, the colour of UK post boxes changed from green to red to make them more noticeable and easier to find. The Penfold was the first design to be manufactured in the new red colour. Although the original Penfold boxes were expensive to make.