WHERE better to sell old stamps, first day covers and postcards than the Old Post Office in Tintagel?

Like many National Trust sites, Tintagel Old Post Office has been successfully selling donated second-hand books for years now, raising funds to help the charity’s conservation work. Now the team are looking to build on this success by expanding the range of donated goods for sale with a new second-hand ‘stamp shop’.

To realise this ambition, the team at Tintagel are asking for anyone with old stamps, first day covers or postcards to donate them to the Old Post Office to support this new fundraising initiative.

Operations manager, Joanne McGillivray, said: “We recently discovered that National Trust Blickling Estate have a stamp shop where they sell postal memorabilia that has been donated to them. With this house in Tintagel retaining the name the ‘Old Post Office,’ where better than here to establish another stamp shop for National Trust, but we do need help to build up stock.”

The front of Tintagel Old Post Office, Cornwall. (Picture: National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies)
The front of Tintagel Old Post Office. (Picture: National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies) (National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies)

The National Trust is an independent conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people: Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley, who saw the importance of the nation's heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy.

Tintagel Old Post Office, a 14th-century hall-house obtained its name by housing the village’s letter-receiving office for a short time in the 1870s. When the postal service moved to another property the house became known as the ‘Old Post Office’ and was acquired by the National Trust in 1903. In the 1970s the house was furnished to allow visitors to imagine it as it could have been in the late 1800s, with one room curated with Victorian postal equipment so that visitors today can enjoy stepping back in time.

Vintage postal sign and telegraph machine at Tintagel Old Post Office. (Picture: National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies)
Vintage postal sign and telegraph machine at Tintagel Old Post Office. (Picture: National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies) (National Trust Images/Rhodri Davies)

If anyone would like to donate to Tintagel Old Post Office’s stamp shop or second-hand bookshop contact the team on 01840 770024, email [email protected] or drop in to Tintagel Old Post Office, Fore Street, Tintagel, PL34 0DB.

The property is open to visitors daily until November 3, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tintagel-old-post-office for further details.