Family traditions on South Cumbria postal delivery route

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Family traditions on South Cumbria postal delivery route

Following the same type of work can often become a family tradition and that was certainly true of the Croasdells.

The Mail on October 21 in 1992 described how four generations of the family had been involved in delivering the post.

It was being brought to an end 25 years ago by the retirement of Haverthwaite postie Bill Croasdell.

He was hanging up his delivery bag after 48 years.


The article noted: “Postman Bill, who lives at Grassgarth Farm, officially retires on November 5 on his 65th birthday after having delivered letters most of his working life.


“His father Teddy ran the Haverthwaite post office for many years and for good measure his mother Mary also had a small delivery round.

“And, before that, grandfather John Croasdell had also been Haverthwaite postmaster, taking over from Bill’s great-grandmother Roberta Croasdell who was postmistress from about 1903.

“Apart from two years’ National Service in the Royal Navy - working in the postal section – Bill rode his bike delivering letters between Haverthwaite and Oxen Park.

“When the delivery office at Haverthwaite closed in 1971, Bill was posted to Ulverston and swapped his cycle for a van to deliver in the Newby Bridge and Finsthwaite areas.

“Bill, a widower who received the Imperial Service Medal five years ago, is currently working part-time until his retirement delivering in Backbarrow.


“Plans for the future include a holiday next spring visiting his sister in Australia.”

Mr Croasdell told The Mail: “It was a 26-mile round trip and I cycled it every day apart from one occasion when it snowed and I walked round instead.

“I also had to walk part of the round during a flood.

“The water was four feet deep and I walked along a top of a wall but then fell in.”

He received the Imperial Service medal at a presentation in November 1987.


Mr Croasdell noted then that his sack of letters weighed an average of 50lbs.