Why Post boxes?

So I took sometime away from ingress and get back find 50 post boxes added as portals

so I have to ask Why are post boxes suddenly being as portals in the UK?

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Comments

  • The UK got an answer in an AMA that they've taken to assume any post box older than the Queen's reign is historical. Turns out that historical groups record them too.

  • Tbh I wish they all were acceptable. My area is between suburban and rural with mostly generic businesses, subdivisions, and farmland. POI potential is scarce when it's not a church or playground. The boxes are a means to provide the service the buildings do without having to travel a few miles out of the way to the building.

  • People are submitting a lot younger than Victorian post boxes

  • Those should not be accepted at all. (I still question whether the others should be accepted but AMA wins).

  • nightwing90nightwing90 ✭✭
    edited October 2019

    Personally I would have said no but america is so young in a comparison of countries by age so that could swade opinion

    Post edited by nightwing90 on
  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    I personally think post boxes are invalid to begin with no matter what people think as why do people think we need to have crowds congregating around something that is used to send documents and parcels. The new guide specifically states post boxes are a 1*. If people want to argue it go look for yourself under wayfarer's help guide. They have clarified the only thing that should be accepted is the actual post office building if it is a stand alone post office building. They posted an actual picture of a postal box as a 1* rejection reason.

  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    @Perringaiden The AMA clarifications have to follow the new guide as well until it is clarified more. In the case of the UK post boxes the rules now are do not approve the post boxes and approve the actual post office.


    Additional Examples and Guidelines

    • Athletic fields - Eligible, as long as they are publicly accessible. If the fields are marked by signs, submit the signs as Wayspots. Also, ensure that the Wayspot appears to be at least 40 meters away from a private residence.
    • Building foundation stones - Eligible, if they demonstrate historical value.
    • Charity drop-boxes - Ineligible, as they are mass-produced objects.
    • Flagpoles - Ineligible, as they are mass-produced objects. Only with accompanying plaque or info board detailing cultural or historical significance. 
    • Lighthouses - Eligible, as long as they’re accessible by foot.
    • Memorial bench/plaques - Eligible, if dedicated to a noteworthy member of a community or historical figure. 
    • Objects installed in a series - Objects installed in a series can be submitted as a group or individually, depending on the distance between them. If they are relatively close together and share a single sign, consider them as a single Wayspot, but please ensure that the objects are in fact related before nominating. If they are relatively far apart, consider them as multiple Wayspots. 
    • Playgrounds - Eligible, as long as they are not located on primary and secondary school grounds, child care centers, day care centers, or private residential property. Indoor playgrounds should be evaluated on their cultural and historical significance.  
    • Post offices - Eligible, as long as they are standalone buildings rather than individual postboxes, windows, etc. (please read this update on post office everyone)
    • Sidewalk stencils - Ineligible, as they are not permanent.
    • Signs for locations/objects that are already existing Wayspots - Eligible, if they are a significant distance from the object or location. For example, a sign for a monument could be a separate Wayspot than the monument itself. If a sign for Wayspot is nearby the Wayspot itself, it can be used as a supplementary photo for the existing Wayspot. 
    • Swimming pools - Eligible, if not located on private residential property. 
    • Trailheads, trail markers, mile/distance markers, etc. - Acceptable, if they have a trail name on them. Simple mile markers along a trail with nothing other than a number should be rejected.


  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭

    It is important to remember that some post boxes in the UK will be valid due to their age, rarity or design and some are heritage listed. They don't need to be Victorian, for example the rarest boxes are those with Edward VIII cyphers because so few were installed in 1938 and many were converted to George VI. Also the "Liverpool special" design is particularly ornate and all surviving examples are heritage listed. Some should be accepted if the supporting photo and statement can explain why. Blindly 1 starring everything is not a proper review.

    Likewise there are some heritage listed telephone kiosks in the UK, pretty much all surviving examples of the K1 up to the K6 and even a K8 from the 1960s.

  • OGMagusOGMagus ✭✭✭

    Maybe we should get some clarification on phone booths as well. While not exactly Victorian, they were abundandt when I was a kid in the 80s but are now so few that younger (I presume) agents submit as "historic" :)

  • I think I had previously asked about police public call box but this would have G+ ama session

  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    No clarification is necessary. If it's heritage listed and not at one of the ineligible locations, it's portalworthy. There are 2,677 listed telephone kiosks in England alone. The K1, K2 and K3 are exceptionally rare and pretty much anything pre-war up to the K6 is listed. The listed K8 built in 1968 is at Worcester Shrub Hill station.

    A guide is just that - a guide. Do not blindly reject a Grade I or Grade II listed object just because it's a post box. You do not have to reject all post boxes. Use some common sense. It's not hard to work out when doing a review. According to to the listing authorities, there are 4,184 listed post boxes in England, 251 in Scotland and 85 in Wales.

    The oldest surviving post box in the UK, dating from 1852. ✅ Should be a portal.

    Liverpool Special box from 1863, all surviving examples of this design are listed. ✅ Should be a portal.

    Edward VIII box from 1938, exceptionally rare and Grade II listed. ✅ Should be a portal.

    Elizabeth II box. ❌ Should not be a portal.

    If you are planning to submit a post box or phone kiosk, check the listings with Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland or Cymru Hanesyddol. The submission should include listing number, listing date and listing grade to prove it is historic.

    An object doesn't need to be old to be historic. The youngest Grade I listed building is the British Library at St Pancras, completed in 1997.

    Post edited by SoylentGrien on
  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭

    how about we just follow the new guide until Niantic responds with a new AMA? I am sorry but arguing that we should carve out a regional exemption when they just updated the new guide to "NOT" include post boxes period regardless of how historical they are. Trying to use the same argument about military bases trying to get a historic canon approved regardless of location or other guidelines.

  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭

    How about thinking independently and using common sense? Are you really going to reject a Grade I listed object?

  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    To be honest these are meant to carry mail. If we approve these why not just approve all trail and mile markers? I mean these are meant for mail and to be perfectly honest there are way better submissions. Not to mention my area has generic post boxes.

  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ah, so because your area has generic post boxes, nowhere with an ornate historic post box with a Grade I or II listing under the National Heritage Act should have any? Use some common sense.

  • what about George V & VI post boxes?

    are those supposed to be accept or denied?

  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭

    I am just going by the guidelines. My area has always submitted the post office branches. Sorry if it doesn't line up with what your saying. I know several things that are historical but are invalid due to other criteria. Historical does not always mean it is valid.

  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭

    George VI boxes are comparatively rare as not many were installed during the war or following austerity. George V boxes are the second most common after Elizabeth II so probably not.

    Unless of course an individual box is listed.

  • SoylentGrienSoylentGrien ✭✭✭✭✭

    Just being on the guide doesn't make it invalid, unless it is explicitly ineligible like schools. The guide is just that - a guide. You are still required to use your brain.


  • Yeah I thought they were pretty common there is 3 have been added with 900 meters of each other

  • this will probably blow up in Niantic's face someone probably tourist will submit a painted green post box in northern Ireland

    resulting in disagreements and Niantic getting a lot hate mail

  • I can see an argument for a middle ground on rarity / location but happy to go with AMA guidelines...

    My issue is that in the Niantic Wayfarer page - at least for my area - the postboxes are still being displayed regularly as "Featured Wayspots" with "This Wayspot is a new beautiful example of a cultural or historic landmark that is easy to access for all..."

    Isn't that going against the AMA clarification... I thought the featured examples were to encourage good choices...

  • cmonineedanamecmonineedaname ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    Aren't you American? The historic boxes wouldn't even apply to you.

  • Ech0TomEch0Tom ✭✭✭

    24/7 safe public access

    Historically or culturally relevent they relate to a specific period in history, british postboxs are an iconic design associated with the countries identity.

    Interesting Title and description, good clear picture (pretty hard to get this one wrong)

    Visually Unique extremely rare to see another without walking a reasonable distance, they're usually on street corners and instantly visible.

    In the UK they are perfectly valid, as long as they are from a pre-Liz /Liz the 2nd era.

    They also make dead rural areas very playable which is always a bonus.

    Every country has their own 'thing' which is only valid in that country.

  • RostwoldRostwold ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    There is of course a problem with the UK using a 'not the current monarch' rule, our current one is 93 years old. The coronation of Charles III would legitimise about 100,000 new waypoints.


    Edited as some people have misunderstood: I do NOT want this to happen, I am pointing out that it's a bad rule!

    Post edited by Rostwold on
  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    At this point mentioning this the mail boxes in UK are just a mass produced object there is no reason to allow 100,000 mailboxes it is way too many of the same thing. The postal stations at least normally are different in their construction. There has to be something else to submit than these post boxes which to me sounds like people want couch waypoints. Also this "current Monarch rule" is something that was never had even given the green light for. Niantic was vague with the AMA and yall ran with it. Follow the actual guide.

  • What will probably happen like last time when Charles is king the queens postboxs will be replaced.


    So there wont be 100,000 just a few that are not upgraded. There not going to install another 100,000

  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019

    Still 100K portals umm no. My metropolitan area of 6 million barely pegs 46K over several hundred sq km.

  • Ech0TomEch0Tom ✭✭✭

    Yeah this seems like the most likely outcome, UK post offices are being shut down pretty rapidly now so old postboxes are a pretty good replacement portal.

    Our towns main post office isn't even a standalone place anymore its just a little section in the back of a Rymans Stationary shop, much better to have a post box that everyone can safely access ll the time without bothering anyone.

  • kholman1kholman1 ✭✭✭✭

    No it is not. Follow the guide. They said building.

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