The British Postal Museum Store

Although we are a combined archive and museum service, at present it is only possible to visit The Royal Mail Archive on a regular basis.

Most of the museum collection is kept in The British Postal Museum Store, in Essex. Please note the store is not open to the public all the time. We open the store to the public on various dates throughout the year. Check out What's On for the latest opening dates.

The store houses objects ranging from the desk of Rowland Hill (founder of the Penny Post), to Mobile Post Office vehicles and an astounding assortment of letter boxes.

We ask all our guests to remember that it is a working store, rather than a museum designed for everyday public use.

The collection of objects in the store is growing all the time, as we continue to gather material from the many areas of work in Royal Mail Group Limited.

Directions to The British Postal Museum Store

The Museum Store is located North-East of London, close to the M11, junction 5. The store is Unit 7, Imprimo Park, Lenthall Road, IG10 3UF.

You can download a location map here (PDF, 139KB) which shows how to walk from Debden tube station, or link to Streetmap on the web.

Getting there by Road
Easiest route is via the M11. If travelling north on the M11, leave at Junction 5, taking the A1168 North toward Loughton (Chigwell Lane). Before crossing the railway, take the first right turn into Langston Road. Take the third left into Lenthall Road and The British Postal Museum Store is located at the end of the new industrial units (Imprimo Park), on the left. There is a yard in front of the store gates  where you will be able to park.

If travelling south on the M11, there is no exit at Junction 5: it is necessary to go on further to the next exit (Junction 4 but not indicated as such). Leave the motorway here, and re-join the M11 heading north, then leave at Junction 5 as above.

Note: When rejoining the M11 here, it is only possible to join the motorway and travel in a southerly direction. To return north, it is necessary to travel to Junction 4 as above

Getting there by Public Transport
By tube - Take the Central Line eastbound from London toward Epping. Liverpool Street and Stratford are mainline stations that intersect with this line. Journey time from Chancery Lane station is approximately 33 minutes.

Get off the tube at Debden station. Leave the station, turn immediately right and cross over the footbridge, turning left onto the path on the other side.

Follow this footpath that runs parallel to the tube line (the tube line will be on your left). The footpath runs behind a number of new business units. Turn right with the footpath at the end of these units and follow the path down to the road (Lenthall Road). The Museum Store is the nearest of these units to you.

Note: Occasionally the footbridge over the line is closed. If this is the case, turn left when you leave the station and follow the footpath down the hill to the main road. Turn left again and go beneath the bridge that carries the railway. Turn left immediately, up a short run of steps and walk straight on down the footpath behind the business units – the tube line will be on your left. Turn right with the footpath at the end of these units and follow the path down to the road (Lenthall Road). The Museum Store is the nearest of these units to you.

• Bus 167 from Ilford via Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill.
• Bus 20 from Walthamstow via Woodford Green and Loughton.
• Bus 397 from Crooked Billet roundabout (Chingford Mount Road) via Chingford. There are bus stops for these routes in Debden close to the Sainsbury’s Supermarket. Continue past the supermarket to the Underground Station and follow the above directions to walk from the tube.

There is a taxi rank located at Debden Underground Station. Ask for Lenthall Road.

You may find it useful to visit the online Transport for London Journey Planner

Call 020 7222 1234 for 24 hour London Transport information.