The Postman's Hut

 There's something infinitely poetic about a small corrugated iron shed positioned seemingly at random in the corner of a field or for that matter a pillbox listing gently one a sea shore. Despite the privations that living in one of these structures would entail some part of me quite fancies the idea. Well it turns out that in the case of the corrugated  shed for a couple of hours a day that's just what postmen in rural areas did in the aptly named postman's hut. 

The postman of yesteryear hard a hard life they would set out either on foot or if lucky on a bicycle with often both a very large weight in their sacks and a wide area to cover to deliver the mail. The rural postman's role involved not simply delivering but also collecting and as such there would often be a lengthy gap between the delivery of the last item of post and the time of the last collection. What to do to keep warm and dry during this time - enter the postman's hut or shelter.

Lets quote from Hansard and the debate on Friday 24 February 1899 of the of Rural Postmen's Shelters. "What has been offered is to put up a hut for any walking rural postman who may need it at the end of his outward walk, provided that he is required to wait for not less than two hours, and that he undertakes to use the shelter provided. This is contemplated as the normal arrangement, but in cases where the outward walk ends at or near a post-office, it is sometimes found that the postmaster is able to provide the postman with shelter on his premises, and for doing so the postmaster is to be granted an allowance not exceeding 30s. a year. Stoves are provided in the huts, but the postmen are expected to find their own fuel. Some of the men are able to earn money by doing other work"

The postman's hut it would seem survived well into the 20th century and was a common sight in the countryside. One or two example still survive today. Here is a Postman's hut near Asterton photographed by Jeremy Bolwell. 

Another fine example complete with GPO sign near Birtley, Herefordshire by Michael Dibb.

And lastly one in Cwmystwyth (via Google maps)