WEYBRIDGE POST OFFICE
42 High Street
Postcard view
Photograph © Julian Osley
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Architect: Albert Myers Year: 1914 Archive sources British Postal Museum and Archive: POST 30/2881B National Archives: WORK 13/564 Selected bibliographical references Surrey Advertiser 2 Feb 1914, p. 7 History Opened: 8 Feb 1914 Closed Current use: Estate agency, Royal Mail Delivery Office to the rear remains operational Building description From: Surrey Advertiser 2 February 1914, p. 7 Inconvenient postal accommodation, especially times of pressure, will superseded upon the opening of the new head office in High-street on Sunday morning, February 8th. The need of central premises of the style provided has been a long-felt want, and there is no doubt that they will make for even better services than Mr. C. Woodley (postmaster) and his staff could supply under their hampered conditions hitherto. Standing upon a site at the junction ot High-street and Elm Grove-road, the building is of an imposing character, finished with stone facings. It was commenced in September, 1912, and has been erected Mr. Frank K. Privett, of Southsea and Haslemere. -No better provision could possibly be made tor the staff whether work or at rest, for in different parts the building there are retiring rooms for various departments. The main entrance faces the corner of the two roads and leads into roomy public office, winch will open from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. on week-days and from 8.30 till 10 a.m. on Sundays. There is accommodation for eight counter clerks, if necessary, and in addition an inside letter-box - as well as one outside - there are booths for writing telegrams, a pneumatic pump for sending messages to the instrument room above, and a telephone call box. Behind the public office is situated a well-equipped sorting office, with plenty of space for all purposes. Sorting racks are of the latest pattern, and there are also some useful patent mail-bag hangers. There are clerks’ and postmen’s retiring rooms on either side of the sorting office, which has swing doors opening to a covered yard for loading and unloading mail-vans, which enter and leave by a gateway in Elm Grove-road. Other rooms immediately adjoining the sorting department are a bag room and store. Connected with the public office is the postmaster’s sanctum, which is adjoined by a writing clerk’s department. On the first floor there are women’s retiring rooms, provided with easy chairs and a couch, telegraph messengers’ room, and other departments for telegraphs and telephones. The telegraph instrument room will have one line to London, another to London, Byfleet and West Byfleet, a third to Addlestone and Chertsey, and fourth to the Heath-road branch office. On the opposite side of the main corridor a large room which will be fitted up with a telephone exchange in about six months’ time. Adjoining are battery and test rooms, through the latter of which several large cables enter the building. The offices are effectively lighted throughout by electricity and heated by hot water apparatus. In most of rooms there are block floors, while in convenient places there are up-to-date fire appliances including cases of asbestos cloths. An engineer’s store, with offices above, cart-sheds, etc., comprise a block of buildings the other side the yard, the whole of which is paved ... |
