The Old Post Office - 39 High Street Upper Gravenhurst

The Old Post Office - 39 High Street September 2017

The Old Post Office looks like a 19th century building, viewed from the road. Looking from the churchyard, however, the uneven roof-line suggests it might be older. The property is not listed.

39 High Street seen from the churchyard September 2017

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the property [DV1/C214/28] found that it was owned and occupied by Christopher A White and stood in just under half an acre.

The building comprised a shop, a parlour, a living room and a kitchen with three bedrooms above. The valuer commented: “Very good front”. The shop measured 13 feet by 13 feet 6 inches. Outside were a store barn with a loft over and a gateway and a “very nice garden”. The valuer observed: “Property been refaced, back part of property very old. Only shop in village, recently done up and very nice”.

Kelly’s Directory of 1928 describes Christopher White as “chemist”. The last directory to mention a post office in the parish is the previous Kelly’s - that of 1924, where the post mistress is given as Mrs Adeline S White, presumably Christopher’s wife. A previous postmaster (Kelly’s Directory for 1920) had been Reuben Parish who, by 1924 was at Cart’s Farm. We know that about 1900 the post office was at Chestnut Tree House.

The church and 39 High Street about 1902 [Z760/3/3]