RESIDENTS of a Teignbridge village that recently lost its Post Office are getting used to their new mobile outreach service.

The van, which visits the village each Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 12.30pm, offers the bulk of services one could expect to find at a typical Post Office, as well as selling stationary, greeting cards and other bits and bobs.

Kingskerswell did have a Post Office on Fore Street, but closed earlier this year.

The mobile van, which is a part of the Ashburton Outreach Service and was provided to the town by the Post Office, is manned by Lucy Musselwhite.

The mobile Post Office lifeline that serves Kingskerswell. Lucy Musselwhite
Lucy Musselwhite (Steve Pope/MDA)
The mobile Post Office lifeline that serves Kingskerswell. Janet Carter and Jane Taylor
The mobile Post Office lifeline that serves Kingskerswell. Janet Carter and Jane Taylor (Steve Pope/MDA)

Lucy takes the van all over the local area, including to Drewsteignton and Walkhampton, providing these remote communities with access to postal services, including online services, given the van has high-speed satellite internet thanks to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Cllr Jane Taylor, who represents Kerswell-with-Combe, described the mobile service as a ‘fantastic resource for the village’, with resident Janet Carter describing the van as ‘a bit of a life saver’.

‘Its quite the community hub, people can come here, meet up, have a chat and use the services’ Cllr Taylor said.