POSTAL workers have set up a history display that has intrigued customers so much they hope to enlarge it.

A delivery list dating back to 1846 is included along with photographs, some more than a century old, on the walls of the office in Barnard Castle.

The picture above features 20 staff lined up outside the town's post office in 1900, when it was based on The Bank, in what is now Connelly's toy shop.

Another from the same era shows five postmen who covered the widespread area around Winston, three of them on bicycles.

Dave Charlesworth, the delivery office manager, said: "The display is causing a lot of interest, with some callers able to pick out their grand- fathers or other relatives who delivered the mail.

"We hope now to find some other photographs of postmen from decades gone to add to the collection. We would like to hear from anyone who has some pictures or any other postal relics."

The list showing scores of addresses on the delivery rounds in 1846 intrigues many people, because a lot of the places have now disappeared, and there is no indication of which part of Teesdale they were in.

Among the properties that can no longer be found is one called Thrive If Thee Can.

There is speculation that this could have been a small farm or mine from which it was difficult to make a living.

Other puzzlers include Ash Bust House, Dyons, Spank-holme and Lopez.

Fred Fawcett, who has been a postman for 37 years and now looks after the inquiry office, said: "I've delivered mail in every part of Teesdale at different times, but I've no idea where some of these old places were. It would be good if anyone can let us know."

One address on the list is Cauldron Snout, the waterfall in the upper dale.

"I can't imagine why anyone would want to send mail to the waterfall," said Mr Fawcett. "As far as I know there has never been anyone living close to it."

Other now-forgotten locations listed include Cold Thorn, Batters Row, Corbush, Way-but Egg-pot and Fend-rath Hall.

Most of the postmen had to walk many miles every day before bicycles came into use, but some may have travelled on horseback or by pony and trap.

Today's postal staff feel that as the display grows it will be a fitting tribute to the workers who ensured the mail got to all parts of Teesdale in all weathers in the past.

The size of the Teesdale area has been reduced, with some outlying parts now being covered from Richmond or Bishop Auckland, but the delivery team still have to cover many miles every day.