Loss of rare postbox marked after the demolition of Carnaby Post Office building

The Carnaby Post Office with it’s rare window post box before demolition. Photo courtesy of Beryl Gallagher

The former village hub, near Ferns Farm, has made way for a more modern building.

Beryl Gallagher said: “The demolition of the post office in the village of Carnaby signalled the end of an era when every town and village was served by its own post office.

“The Wolds chalk and whitewashed brick building on Main Street was listed as a post office in 1839. The postbox was fitted into the window in November 1929. This was very rare as post boxes were either pillar boxes or wall boxes.

“In 1903, Mr ATB Arksey was appointed as the postmaster and his son, also named ATB Arksey, took over in 1934. Mrs CH Arksey ran the post office from 1956 until 1965 when Mrs A Arksey become the postmistress until its closure. The same family ran the post office almost one hundred years.

“The last postmistress, Audrey Arksey, remembered the post office during World War 2 when Carnaby Airfield was operational. The post office was bustling with the personnel based at the airfield.

“The airfield staff were regular customers and the post office was extremely busy.

“Audrey lived in the post office cottage until she died quite recently.

“The old building has now gone and the site is being redeveloped.

“The planners said the new property will maintain the character of the village but the once busy village post office with its rare window postbox will, in time, become a piece of forgotton local history.”