The postcard below shows Water Street, Cranborne, being sent in August 1911 to Salisbury. Before around 1840 Cranborne was a Post Town before losing out to Woodyates Inn a few miles to the west when a turnpike road was not built from Cranborne to Salisbury. Water Street depicted below is where the turnpike would have had to go to go direct to Salisbury.
Continuing the diversion to Dorset, here are a few items relating to Cranborne in the east of Dorset. Originally a Post Town, Cranborne declined after the road north to Salisbury was not turnpiked, and by 1835 the post office became a sub-office of a post office established at the Woodyates Inn which was on the Blandford - Salisbury turnpike road.
This first item is a free front to Portsmouth endorsed by the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1821, bearing a late use of the "CRANBOURNE / 100" mileage mark.
