Aldgate High Street at Mansell Street (Aldgate Bars)

[hb88banzai]

Looks like we have another City of London Box that was eventually replaced by a Post.

The original location was on a small island in the centre of Aldgate High Street, about 40 yards west of Mansell Street, near the site of the old Aldgate Bars.

Here's an aerial photo that shows the Box, dated 30 September 1947 --



A closeup from the full resolution version of the photo --



Blown up and sharpened a bit --



This is at the precise location as shown on multiple OS maps for a MetBox sized object labeled as a "PCB" (for Police Call Box). As with the other City of London Police Boxes, they are shown much earlier than most Posts were marked.


Here's an extract from the 1952 (1:1250 Scale) map --




Interestingly, the 1969-1970 OS map still shows only a "PCB" at the original Site, despite most City of London Posts being renovated and replaced circa 1965 (noting that CoL 29 Post in front of St. Botolph Church at the other end of Aldgate High Street has been marked here, visible on the left as a "PTP").

That 1969-1970 (1:1250 Scale map) extract --




Then in the 1971-1989 OS map (again 1:1250 Scale) we finally have a "PTP" (Police Telephone Post) being marked on the map (the dot over the first "P"), having been Resited to the southwest corner of Aldgate High Street and Mansell Street, yet the "PCB" (Police Call Box) is still shown at its old location --



One can only conclude that, as with CoL 10 at Smithfield Market, this Box and Post co-existed for a time, for reasons unknown.

[starcross]

I've managed to find both a Box photo and a PA3 Photo for this location.
The Box photo is a bit of the far side but it is from the Ground, as always a lorry is in the way
The PA3 Photo is a nice look at the store fronts, and other photos of the same stores show that the post was installed after 1968.

Source: Collage - 35793 - 1952
View of Aldgate High Street looking west with the site of a proposed hoarding indicated in yellow.




Source: Collage - 38064 - 1975
Aldgate High Street, by Mansell Street




I found a setting that shows London with the NLS Maps
Source: NLS Maps

[dr hue]

Box 3

Looking North-East up Aldgate High Street. Cardigan House in background.

Probably 1960-61 as Training bus was used in this area then.