Guernsey Post is introducing heritage plates on a number of closed post boxes across the island, helping to preserve their stories and recognise their place in Guernsey’s history.
A total of 27 heritage plates are being installed on post boxes that are no longer in service but remain an important part of Guernsey’s everyday surroundings and shared stories. While the iconic post boxes themselves will remain blue, reflecting their historic appearance, the newly installed heritage plates are brown, clearly identifying them as part of a growing heritage trail.
Installations are now underway, with several plates being fitted this week and the remainder due to be completed in early June.
Each plate features a QR code, allowing residents and visitors to access a dedicated webpage with further historical detail about each box, as well as a guide to other heritage post box locations across the island.
Guernsey Post is committed to keeping the Island’s iconic blue post boxes in place, recognising the important role they continue to play as familiar and valued features of Island life. By sharing the stories connected to these locations, the initiative ensures that their historical and cultural significance is not lost.
Boxes with stories to tell.
across the island
Among the locations receiving heritage plates are:
- Box 89, Fort Road, St Peter Port, a 1934 George V post box with a particularly powerful wartime story. The box was damaged during an RAF raid on Fort George between 3–5 June 1944, and the impact damage remains visible today. These wartime scars serve as a lasting reminder of this period in Guernsey’s history.
- Box 85, Les Bailleuls, Rue des Bailleuls, St Andrews, another George V post box linked to life during the Occupation. A mark still visible inside a nearby home tells the story of a tragic accidental shooting of the homeowner, by a German solider cleaning his gun, leaving a mark that remains visible on the ground floor to this day.
The initiative coincides with the launch of a new Guernsey stamp issue, celebrating the Island’s post box heritage. The set features the Fort Road post box alongside others still in use, linking past and present through design.
Together, the heritage plates and stamp issue celebrate the iconic blue post box and help share the stories that connect these familiar landmarks to Island life.
“We understand that post boxes are far more than a practical service, they hold real cultural significance and emotional value for islanders.” said Steve Sheridan, Chief Executive of Guernsey Post.
“They are part of the fabric of everyday life and have quietly witnessed generations of history. By introducing these heritage plates, we are ensuring those stories continue to be recognised, while keeping the iconic blue post boxes in place as valued features of our Island. “
