Mystery box on wall

[Marc1912]

There's a mystery box on the wall of my house. Can anyone help me identify? There's a very heavy duty cable running from it down the wall and into the brickwork. No sign of cable on the inside though. The house used to be a Post Office, so I'm wondering if it was some sort of alarm?

 

[JohnD]

I think that's conduit. Where does the other end go?

I don't recognise it. But could it have been for an illuminated sign or fascia board?

 

[Marc1912]

It goes into the corner of what would have been the old shop, now my sitting room. But the walls are T&G clad, and don't really want to take that off just to investigate...

 

[Stivino]

Then, take the cover off the box.

 

[conny]

Then, take the cover off the box.

And possibly set off an old alarm that you can't switch off!

 

[Stivino]

And possibly set off an old alarm that you can't switch off!

If he gets the cover off, he'll be able to shut it up.

 

[Marc1912]

Question's academic at the moment as I've only just moved in and don't have a ladder here yet

 

[JohnD]

a post-office alarm would very likely have been attached to a phone line. It may have been disconnected. But you would expect to find remains of an alarm box inside the building. There are some other things that may be present, depending when it was decommissioned, and if it is in a small country village, or a town.

 

[securespark]

The conduit appears to go across the shopfront, where it is painted red.

Where does it end up?

 

[Marc1912]

No it doesn't go across the shopfront, it goes into a hole in the brickwork just at the point where it is hidden by the red shopfront in the picture. Inside there's no sign of anything, but as I said above, there's no access to the wall without removing the t&g cladding inside, which I don't want to do right now.

The Post Office was decommissioned at least 15 years ago, it was a small local suburban one.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Almost certainly an alarm bell box.

 

[Marc1912]

I have a ladder arriving later this week so will investigate and report back ...

 

[bernardgreen]

As mentioned if it is an alarm then if the internal battery is still good it will sound when you remove the cover. Be prepared for that sudden and possibly ear blasting sound. That shock at the top of a ladder can be hazardous ( as in falling off the ladder ). Ear defenders or earplugs would be sensible.

 

[Marc1912]

Many thanks for the warning!

 

[festive]

Doesn't look like a bell box to me but then again what else would sit up on the wall like that. I would remove the inspection covers on the elbows of the conduit and check for telecom or bellwire in there. As others have mentioned if a bell box it will have a tamper switch which normally triggers back on the alarm cpanel box which then triggers the alarm either inside and outside there one or both.
I would like to be sure the internal cpanel is no longer there first and another sounder isn't internal also.

Still not convinced it's an alarm box though for some reason. Please put us out of our misery climb up and find out.