Coal Duty Posts

The next time you're driving, cycling, or walking in the outskirts of Greater London, keep an eye out for a humble, often white, cast-iron post. It might look like just another boundary marker, but these fascinating objects, known variously as Coal Posts or Coal Tax Posts, are silent sentinels of a centuries-old story of taxation, reconstruction, and London's booming growth.

The story of the Coal Posts begins long before they were erected. Since medieval times, the Corporation of the City of London had the authority to levy duties on goods, including coal, brought into the city. But it was a catastrophic event that truly put the coal duty into high gear: the Great Fire of 1666.

To fund the massive rebuilding effort, including iconic structures like St Paul's Cathedral, Acts of Parliament were passed, imposing additional duties on coal entering the Port of London. The revenue stream was vital, and over time, it was used for more than just immediate reconstruction. Funds from the coal and wine duties financed significant public works, such as the building of the Thames Embankment, Holborn Viaduct, and even the purchase of toll bridges to make them free for the public.

For centuries, collecting the tax was relatively straightforward. Coal came into London primarily by sea, docking at riverside wharves, where the tonnage could be easily measured and the duty collected.

However, the 19th century brought rapid change: the explosion of canals and railways. Suddenly, coal was entering London from all directions, bypassing the traditional wharves. The City of London needed a clear way to mark the inland boundary where the duty became payable.

This need led to the London Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Act of 1861. This legislation mandated the erection of permanent boundary markers at every point where a canal, railway, or public road first entered the defined collection area, which was broadly the Metropolitan Police District, which varied from 12 to 18 miles from the city centre.

Between 1861 and 1863, approximately 280 cast-iron posts and other stone markers were installed, many replacing earlier markers from 1851. These are the Coal Posts you can still see today.

They often feature the shield of the City of London (the red Cross of St George and the Sword of St Paul) and they often bear a reference to the enabling legislation, typically "ACT 24 & 25 VICT. CAP 42" or "14 & 15 VIC. C.146", which refers to the 24th and 25th years of Queen Victoria’s reign and Chapter 42 of the Statute book. The inscription "14 & 15 VIC. C.146" refers to an earlier Act, The Coal Duties (London, Westminster and adjacent counties) Act, 1851.

Some posts also feature the maker's mark, indicating where they were cast, often "Regents Canal Iron Works, London".

Their purpose was not generally to be a collection point, as the duties were usually paid by the transport companies or merchants to a central office, but rather a legal notice. They signalled precisely where the boundary lay, ensuring that no one could claim ignorance of their liability to pay the tax.

Despite their importance, the coal and wine duties were unpopular, particularly with residents in the outer suburbs who resented paying a tax that didn't directly benefit their local area. The tax was finally abolished in 1889, and the last collection occurred in 1890.

The Coal Posts, having only been in place for a few decades, were rendered obsolete. Yet, around 210 of the original 280 markers survive today, scattered across the home counties. These simple markers are now protected as listed historical objects. They are a tangible link to a time when London's reconstruction and expansion were funded, ton by ton, by the coal that warmed its hearths and powered its industry. So, the next time you spot one, take a moment to appreciate this unassuming small posts with a monumental history.