NHER 17881 (Building record) - Post Office, Hanworth

Late 18th or early 19th century building of yellow brick and flint.
3 bays with central bay canted and 2 storeyed, single storey wings.
Pevsner says this 'must have' been a lodge to Hanworth Hall, but despite the fact that (S1) shows a footpath running for part of the way on a direct line between the two, neither (S2) nor (S3) show any drive or road along this line, though the latter marks the building as 'Cottage' and 'Hanworth Cross'.
The latter is a mistake and should refer to the next crossroads north. It is unlikely that it was any kind of a lodge to the Gunton estate opposite, from its southeast facing site and its angled alignment on the northwest of the crossroads.
There is a persistent local story that this was a toll house, but it is not marked as such on (S2) or the (S3) and its position would seem to make this use questionable.
S. White (NAU) and E. Rose (NAU) 22 January 1982.

Post Offive spokesman states that before being made a post office, this was a day school established by the Gunton Estate.
E. Rose (NAU) 14 January 1982.

The local telephone exchange was established here in 1907 with 8 lines, and it was the postmaster/mistress' duty to work the switchboard. After 1930 the station grew considerably, going from 16 lines to 25 in just one year. Automatic service began in 1939 when the station reached 62 lines. There were 486 lines by 1979, and in 1982 all equipment was removed and a new electronic exchange was built on land behind the post office.
NIAS records (S4)
W. Arnold HES 19/01/11