The Post Office has moved several times throughout its existence in Chenies.
Number 49 (Field Cottage)
Field Cotrage was initially the infants’ school, founded in 1845 before the school on its present site was built in 1846. Some time after that it became the first Post Office.
No. 30
By the turn of the century, the post office had moved to No. 30, where it existed along with a general store that also sold sweets, soft drinks, groceries and haberdashery. Fred Smith remembers that ‘Miss Glenister who ran it often did not get up very early in the morning and on such occasions the maid would serve the children with sweets on the way to school when they received very good weight – she would tip up the jar to fill the bag – a good farthingsworth of “dolly mixtures”! (Note the letter box on the ivy covered wall on left in the photo.)‘
Old Village Shop
The Old Village Shop became the new home for the Post Office in 1910. It was run for a time by Mr Harry & Mrs Wilson, who also operated tea rooms from the premises (see photo on the right). The Post Office continued to operate here throughout both wars. When a tragedy occured however, and Mrs Wilson died in an accident at home, Harry started to struggle to manage the Post Office and shop on his own.
Field Cottage
Eventually, when Harry could no longer continue running the Post Office it went back to Field Cottage and was run for a short time by Goerge Tomlin.
Old Village Shop
By 1959, the then postmaster, the Reverend Trevor Jones, Rector at Chenies Church, was allowing his tenant at the Old Village Shop to continue to run the Post Office there.
The Old Rectory
Due to a falling out however, the post office, contained in a metal box, was handed back to the Rector then who operated it from the Old Rectory where he ran it for a couple of mornings a week. He got into trouble however, in 1961, when one resident found that he was never present at the correct times, and the licence was taken away from him.
Banner Rest was then used for a short time as the operating place for the Post Office, run by Miss Phipps, the Sub Postmistress.
No. 50. Grafton Cottage Shortly after, Miss Phipps moved to number 50, Grafton Cottage, renting a room from Mrs Matthews the tenant there. Here she continued to run the Post Office into the 60s.
Old Village Shop: Soon after, the Post Office was transferred back at the Old Village Shop and the care of Mrs Darke which she ran along with a grocery shop. Eventually Mrs Darke gave up the groceries in favour of antiques.
The Post Office finally closed in 1975.