A colourful postcard is just about to be put into a red letterbox

Wish you were here

When was the last time you sent a postcard? Or received one? What was once a communication staple for over 150 years now feels more like a novelty. New research commissioned by English Heritage reveals that only 8% of adults send a postcard at least once a year, while more than half never send them at all. How about we change that this summer? Find out more about the humble postcard and, perhaps, feel inspired to send your own.

Great British Summer with English Heritage

A woman wearing purple latex gloves holds a written postcard up to the camera

A Victorian and Edwardian obsession

Postcards were introduced to Britain in 1870 and became an instant success. For the first time, the nation could send informal, cheap and easy correspondence rather than a long time-consuming letter.

In 1871, around 75 million postcards were sent in Britain and by 1910[1] over 800 million were being sent each year. For a population of almost 45 million[2] at that time, that’s an average of just under 18 postcards being sent per person annually. If you write a postcard today you might talk about what you’ve been up to, how the weather has been, a fun anecdote and 100 years ago it was no different. The traditional postcard served a lighter purpose too: letting friends and family know what they were missing while you enjoyed your holiday.

[1] The Postal Museum, Collection Highlights, Postcards

[2] Office for National Statistics, UK Population Estimates 1851 to 2014

A large selection of postcards on a black background. A woman wearing purple latex gloves holds a postcard up.

Picture Perfect Dover Castle

Postcards make up a valuable part of our collection and we have recently acquired around 800 historic postcards depicting Dover Castle in Kent throughout the years. Assembled in a private collection by Pat Cunningham, former Head Custodian at Dover Castle who worked at the site from 1988 until 2010, the postcards were lovingly collected over several decades from local antique shops and online vendors.

A selection of old postcards featuring Dover Castle on a black background

The messages are just as fascinating as the images, ranging from a request sent in 1914 to

‘my dearest mum […] will you please send my clean vest?’ to an endearing postcard from a child to a friend in 1967 which reads ‘I am having a lovely time. We have only had a little rain. We have been around to a few places. I am often go fishing. I am sorry I have started to write in pencil but Tony pinched my pen.’

This collection provides a visual record of the ways in which the structure of the castle changed from the late 19th century onwards, along with a delightful insight into the everyday lives of ordinary people and their postcard habits at a time when sending a postcard was as common as sending a text.

Three colourful postcards against a white background

Postcards designed by Nick Sharratt and Sir Quentin Blake.

Special postcards by Quentin Blake and Nick Sharratt

This summer, we're encouraging more children to rediscover the joy of sending postcards. To help inspire them, we've commissioned three limited-edition designs by renowned children's illustrators Nick Sharratt and Sir Quentin Blake. So join us in making sure postcards don’t become a distant nostalgic memory – all you’ll need is a pen and a stamp and we’ll provide the postcard. The special postcards will be available to collect for free at eighteen of our historic sites, as part of our Great British Summer events.

A young boy holds up a postcard to the camera

Postcard designed by Sir Quentin Blake, who said: "In the days of knights in armour they didn’t have postcards, so I do hope children enjoy mine and send him on to someone special.”

A Great British Summer

Celebrate a classic Great British Summer with timeless holiday traditions at lots of our historic sites across the country. Enjoy the fairground activities and pick up new tricks at the circus skills station. Don't forget to collect a limited-edition postcard, grab a souvenir passport and collect special stamps to complete your summer adventure. Find the event at the following places: