Visits are by prior arrangement; watch Events for the next public open day
Visits by arrangement
Outside public open days, please contact the curator before visiting.
Halstead, Essex
The bigger, brighter, better
Colne Valley Postal History Museum
Privately curated postal history in Halstead: letter boxes, stamp machines, AA village signs, and more.
Victorian VR wall letter box with Andover hood set into a flint wallVisit
Find us in Halstead
The museum sits in Halstead, Essex. Outside public open days, visits are by prior arrangement with the curator. Use Find us for directions, maps, and contact details.
In the grounds of: The Laurels, 109 Head Street, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2AZ.
Public open days
Thank you to everyone who visited on Sunday 13 September 2026. Our next public open day will be announced here and under Visit / Events . Outside open days, the museum is open by prior arrangement with the curator; please get in touch to plan a visit.
Cannot visit in person?
Take the virtual tour below to walk through the museum and collections, or hear Steve’s interview with Jacky at Gateway 97.8 in Basildon.
About the collection
A privately owned postal history museum in the heart of East Anglia, built up over many years by one curator.
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167
Letter boxes
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65+
AA village signs
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25
Stamp machines
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135
Enamel signs
It houses the second-largest private collection of post boxes in the UK: every reign from 1859 to 2015, in detail. It is also home to the national AA village signs collection, the largest display of them anywhere.
At least one public open day is held each year. Otherwise visits are by prior arrangement with the curator, usually at any reasonable time.
Also on display: 75 posters, 27 postal balances, two telephone kiosks, three bicycles, uniforms, documents, and associated artefacts.
Start exploring
Letter boxes, AA village signs, kiosks, stamp machines, and more from the museum collection.
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AA Village Signs
The national AA village signs collection: more than 65 round name signs from across the UK.
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Postboxes
Explore letter boxes by reign, specialist listings, and collection highlights.
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Telephone Kiosks
K6 and K8 kiosks on display, with photos and context from the museum collection.
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Stamp Machines
Stamp vending machines from the British Post Office and related artefacts.
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Post Boxes on Stamps
Post boxes as they appear in philately, with examples from the museum’s holdings.
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Ludlow Tour of Britain
Ludlow wall boxes mapped across Britain and Ireland, with county jump links.
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Inside the museum
Shed 1: covered accommodation for smaller artefacts, documents, and wooden post boxes, with Victorian wall boxes outside—including a 2nd National Standard with pedimented top. A telegraph pole stands erected and decorated. This is now complemented by the larger purpose-built Shed 2.
Latest updates
- Telephone kiosks: K is for Kiosk—K6 and K8 on display.
- More AA village signs on the site—now well over 100 illustrated.
- More Ludlows on the Tour of Britain, including Ireland.
- Model railway in Shed 2, plus railwayana in the collection.
- Railwayana in the collection
- Curator’s blog
- Latest news and events dates
Shed 2
“Shed Too” is now enlarged to 470 square feet—room for our best exhibits. Since we built it, it has filled with 35 post boxes and a model railway.
