West Town

West Town in Somerset is adjacent to Backwell, about eight miles south-west of Bristol.  These two covers bear "WEST-TOWN" double arc undated cancels.  The first entire is from June 1846 and is in black ...

... while the second, much less clearly struck, is from August 1857 in blue.  This is almost the last known usage of the handstamp.

West Town and "Wincaunton"

West Town is 8 miles WSW of Bristol, which is its Post Town.  It was in the Bristol Penny Post from 1816 and became an R.S.O. in 1861, at which point it was allocated post office number B45.  It went back under Bristol in 1895 and was replaced by 'Backwell' in 1951.  This entire has a straight line "WEST TOWN" handstamp with a date inside of March 1824.  This is currently the only example known.

And here is an early Wincanton handstamp, a "WINCAUN / TON" from 1776 (known 1773-1776).  An earlier straight line "WINCANTON" is known from 1769 but only in the archives.

Barred Numeral Cancels - Pensford, Temple Cloud, West Town

Pensford, 12 miles west of Bath and 7 miles south of Bristol, was given post office number 001 in 1878.

Temple Cloud, 11 miles south of Bristol, was in the Bristol Penny Post from 1818 and was issued post office number 006 in 1878.

West Town, 9 miles WSW of Bristol, was in the Bristol Penny Post from 1824.  It became an RSO in 1861 and was allocated post office number B45.  It had both 3HOS and 3VOS cancels; the first sheet shows a 3HOS on cover while the second sheet shows both types of cancel on stamp.

Bristol Penny Post - Bedminster, West Town

A couple more Bristol Penny Post items, firstly a boxed "No.11" from Bedminster in November 1836.

And an indistinct boxed "No.45" from West Town - the shape of the "5" matches other examples and it was addressed from Backwell which is half a mile from West Town.

Bristol Penny Post - Abbots Leigh, Winterbourne, Downend, West Town

Abbots Leigh was Receiving House No.28.  The entire below from a MP of Bristol is franked "TO PAY 1D ONLY" which was for the Bristol Penny Post - an MPs postage was free in the General Post until 1840.

Winterbourne in south Gloucestershire was Receiving House No.31.

Downend in south Gloucestershire was Receiving House No.38.

West Town was Receiving House No.45.

More main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Bristol

A few more main period UDCs from offices under Bristol:

Churchill's UDC was issued on 14th May 1845, and is known used in black (June 1845 to January 1850) and in blue from March 1852 to July 1859.  The example below is in blue from March 1859.

Langford's main period UDC was issued on 2nd December 1851 and is known used from March 1852 to February 1857.  The example below is from July 1855.

West Town had the first main period UDC, issued on 10th July 1844.  It is known used in black from December 1844 to September 1848 and also in blue between December 1853 and August 1857.  The example in black below is from April 1846.