Grade II listed item appears for sale on Facebook
 |
| Left the missing coal post, and right the one listed for sale on Facebook Image on left courtesy of Martin Nail released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 UK Image on right a screen grab from the Facebook listing |
North Mymms News was first alerted to the sale after a reader of our history site, the North Mymms History Project, reported seeing a coal post advertised on a Facebook page for Enfield.
The item, priced at £450, looks similar to the missing item, although if it is the same one it's had a fresh coat of paint.
 |
| The Warrengate Road coal post pictured in 1972 Image by Martin Nail released via Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 UK |
“It was on the corner of that triangle of land between Swanland Road and Warrengate Road (where there used to be a smallholding). The last time I saw it it was lying on its side with about a foot of “root” exposed. It disappeared shortly thereafter.”Another local resident recalls seeing the coal post lying on the ground in the same spot.
“The post looked as if it had been hit by a vehicle and was lying with its top pointing north. It could have been moved after the accident, of course. It could have been uprooted, or it could have been broken, with the base/foundation remaining in place until being dug up later.”
The missing post was on the south side of the Swanland Road cut through, at grid reference TL 23030 03154.
For those who use What Three Words, the location was possibly in the 3m square grid named as teeth.hangs.unions.
Historic England investigating
This site contacted Historic England who have a listing for the missing coal post. The last known photograph of the post - at the spot where it had stood for more than 100 years - was taken in 1972 Martin Nail.
\We were put through to Historic England’s Head of Heritage Crime Strategy, Mark Harrison, who recommended we report it to Hertfordshire police so that Historic England’s crime team could investigate.
Soon after reporting it to Hertfordshire police the Facebook advert disappeared, but not before we’d taken a few screen shots of the item (below). The advert has recently been restored.
 |
| The coal post that was offered for sale on an Enfield Facebook page for £450 Screen grab from the Facebook listing |
 |
| The top of the coal post Screen grab from the Facebook listing |
 |
| The base of the coal post that was for sale on Facebook Screen grab from the Facebook listing |
The coal post is described by Historic England as:
“City of London Coal Duty Marker. 1861. Cast by H. Grissell, Regents Canal Ironworks. Cast iron square pier. Chamfered corners. Pyramid top. Painted white. City of London crest on necking. Inscription ‘24 Vict’ on front face”.
There were originally an estimated 280 posts within a 20 mile radius of London of which about 210 remain.
According to Historic England the missing post is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 for its special architectural or historic interest is one of 45 listed places in North Mymms.
We have a feature on the North Mymms History Project about the South Hertfordshire coal posts.
Your feedback on the articles posted on North Mymms News is always welcome. Please use the comment box below any news item to have your say. Comments are pre-moderated, so there will be a delay before they appear.
