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SY postcode area
SY postcode area
from Wikipedia

KML is from Wikidata

The SY postcode area, also known as the Shrewsbury postcode area,[2] is a group of 25 postcode districts in the West Midlands and Mid Wales, with small areas in North West England and North Wales. Together the districts cover most of Shropshire, north Powys, north Ceredigion, and part of south Cheshire. In addition, the SY7 and SY8 districts cover a small part of north Herefordshire, and the SY14 and SY20 districts also contain very small parts of Gwynedd and Wrexham County Borough respectively. The postcode area contains 32 post towns.

Key Information

Mail for the SY postcode area is processed at Chester Mail Centre, along with mail for the CH and LL postcode areas.

Post towns

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Coverage

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The approximate coverage of the postcode districts:

Postcode district Post town Coverage Local authority area(s)
SY1 SHREWSBURY Shrewsbury (north and town centre) Shropshire
SY2 SHREWSBURY Shrewsbury (east) Shropshire
SY3 SHREWSBURY Shrewsbury (south and west), Bayston Hill Shropshire
SY4 SHREWSBURY Baschurch, Bomere Heath, Nesscliffe, Shawbury, Wem Shropshire
SY5 SHREWSBURY Atcham, Cressage, Criggion, Condover, Minsterley, Pontesbury, Ratlinghope, Westbury, Wroxeter Shropshire, Powys
SY6 CHURCH STRETTON Church Stretton, Cardington Shropshire
SY7 BUCKNELL Bucknell, Lingen Shropshire, Herefordshire
CRAVEN ARMS Craven Arms, Clun Valley, Diddlebury, Leintwardine, Munslow, Tugford
LYDBURY NORTH Lydbury North Shropshire
SY8 LUDLOW Ludlow, Brimfield, Clee Hill, Culmington, Leinthall Starkes, Richard's Castle, Stoke St. Milborough Shropshire, Herefordshire
SY9 BISHOPS CASTLE Bishop's Castle, Wentnor Shropshire
SY10 OSWESTRY Oswestry (outskirts), Gobowen, Llansilin, Llangedwyn, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Pen-y-bont-fawr, Llanwddyn Shropshire, Powys
SY11 OSWESTRY Oswestry (most of), St Martin's, West Felton Shropshire
SY12 ELLESMERE Ellesmere, Dudleston Heath (Criftins), Welshampton, Lyneal, Colemere, Cockshutt, English Frankton, Tetchill, Hordley, Bagley Shropshire
SY13 WHITCHURCH Whitchurch, Whixall Shropshire
SY14 MALPAS Malpas, Tilston, No Man's Heath, Bickley, Hampton, Shocklach, Bulkeley, Bickerton, Cuddington Heath, Cholmondeley, Threapwood, Barton, Duckington Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Wrexham
SY15 MONTGOMERY Montgomery, Abermule, Chirbury, Church Stoke Powys, Shropshire
SY16 NEWTOWN Newtown, Tregynon, Bettws Cedewain Powys
SY17 CAERSWS Caersws, Trefeglwys, Carno, Llanwnnog, Pontdolgoch, Clatter Powys
LLANDINAM Llandinam
SY18 LLANIDLOES Llanidloes, Llangurig, Van, Tylwch Powys
SY19 LLANBRYNMAIR Llanbrynmair, Llan, Bont Dolgadfan, Dolfach, Talerddig, Staylittle, Pennant, Dylife Powys
SY20 MACHYNLLETH Machynlleth, Corris Powys, Gwynedd
SY21 WELSHPOOL Welshpool, Marton, Stockton Powys, Shropshire
SY22 LLANFECHAIN Llanfechain Powys, Shropshire
LLANFYLLIN Llanfyllin
LLANSANFFRAID Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
LLANYMYNECH Llanymynech
MEIFOD Meifod
SY23 ABERYSTWYTH Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Fawr, Penparcau Ceredigion, Powys
LLANON Llanon
LLANRHYSTUD Llanrhystud
SY24 BORTH Borth Ceredigion
BOW STREET Bow Street, Pen-y-garn, Rhydypennau, Llandre
TALYBONT Talybont
SY25 YSTRAD MEURIG Ystrad Meurig Ceredigion, Powys
TREGARON Tregaron
SY99 SHREWSBURY Jobcentre Plus non-geographic

Map

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KML is from Wikidata
SY postcode area map, showing postcode districts, post towns and neighbouring postcode areas.CH postcode areaCW postcode areaDY postcode areaHR postcode areaLD postcode areaLL postcode areaSA postcode areaTF postcode areaWR postcode areaWR postcode areaWV postcode area
SY postcode area map, showing postcode districts in red and post towns in grey text, with links to nearby CH, CW, DY, HR, LD, LL, SA, TF, WR and WV postcode areas.

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The SY postcode area, also known as the postcode area, is a postal region in the managed by , encompassing 25 postcode districts that primarily cover in the West Midlands of along with extensions into and in . This area serves as a key identifier for mail sorting and delivery, spanning a diverse of rural countryside, market towns, and coastal regions near the Welsh border. With a total land area of approximately 6,064 square kilometres, it ranks among the larger postcode areas in the UK, supporting a mix of agricultural communities, historic sites, and growing urban centres. The SY postcode area is home to notable locations such as the county town of , the border town of , the southern Shropshire hub of , the Welsh market town of , and the university city of on . Other significant settlements encompass Ellesmere, Whitchurch, Montgomery, , , , , , and Tregaron, reflecting a blend of English and Welsh cultural influences. The area's postcode districts are distributed as follows, with each tied to specific post towns for mail routing (note: some districts include multiple post towns):
Postcode DistrictPost Town
SY1–SY5
SY6
SY7
SY8
SY9
SY10
SY11
SY12Ellesmere
SY13Whitchurch
SY14Malpas
SY15Montgomery
SY16Newtown
SY17
SY18
SY19Llanbrynmair
SY20
SY21
SY22
SY23
SY24Borth
SY25Tregaron
(Adapted from district mappings; SY99 is reserved for non-geographic use.) Demographically, the SY postcode area recorded a population of 341,952 residents across 144,660 households in the 2011 , rising to 350,587 residents in the 2021 , with alone accounting for over 70,000 inhabitants as the region's economic and administrative core. The area features a predominantly rural character, with , , and driving the local economy, alongside attractions like the and historic castles in and Montgomery. Mail for the SY area was processed at the Mail Centre as of 2013, which handled sorting alongside the neighbouring CH and LL postcode areas.

Overview

Description and Naming

The SY postcode area, also known as the Shrewsbury postcode area, is a group of 25 postcode districts designated SY1 through SY25 in the , with SY99 reserved for non-geographic use. This designation centers on the town of in , , serving as the primary postal hub for the region. The naming convention follows the standard UK postcode structure, where "SY" represents the outward code identifying the broader postal area, with subsequent numeric districts refining the sorting scope. The primary purpose of the SY postcode area is to streamline and delivery operations by delineating a specific geographic zone within the Royal Mail network, encompassing parts of western and eastern . This system enables efficient routing of correspondence and parcels to local delivery offices, reducing processing times and errors in distribution. The area is geographically centered at approximately 52.665°N 3.053°W, reflecting the midpoint of its coverage from eastward and into Welsh border regions westward. The SY postcode area was established during the nationwide implementation of the UK's alphanumeric postcode system in the , following initial trials in the late and early , with full coverage achieved by 1974. This rollout integrated the SY districts into the broader framework designed by the General to modernize postal logistics across the country.

Key Statistics

The SY postcode area encompasses 25 postcode districts, serving as the primary subdivisions for mail delivery within the region. These districts are further divided into 87 postcode sectors, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data as of February 2025. The area also includes 32 post towns, which function as central hubs for postal addressing and sorting. In terms of postal volume and coverage, as of February 2025, the SY area contained approximately 14,618 live postcodes actively in use for geographic addresses, alongside a total of 17,564 postcodes when accounting for non-geographic or obsolete entries. The population served by these postcodes is estimated at around 342,140 residents, derived from linkages between the 2021 Census data and postcode geographies provided by the ONS. Geographically, the SY postcode area is predominantly rural, featuring key urban centers like , and extends over approximately 2,341 square miles (6,064 km²) across parts of and adjacent Welsh counties, emphasizing its role in covering expansive countryside alongside market towns.
StatisticValueNotes/Source
Postcode Districts25Standard subdivision per structure; SY99 non-geographic
Post Towns32Central addressing hubs
Postcode Sectors87As of February 2025 ONS data
Live Postcodes~14,618February 2025
Total Postcodes (incl. non-geographic)17,564February 2025
Population Covered~342,1402021 postcode estimates
Area Span~2,341 sq mi (6,064 km²)Primarily rural with urban foci like

Territorial Coverage

Geographic Extent

The SY postcode area encompasses a trans-border region primarily covering most of in , along with significant portions of northern and northern in , as well as smaller areas in southern , northern , and parts of and in . This coverage reflects the area's extension across the England-Wales border, with approximately 63% in , 21% in , 10% in , and minor shares in the other counties, totaling an irregular footprint shaped by postal logistics rather than strict geographic or administrative lines. The boundaries of the SY area extend from the Welsh borders eastward into inland , incorporating the and the adjacent Welsh uplands such as the in northern . Its irregular shape arises from the historical design of the postcode system, which prioritizes efficient and delivery routes over natural or political boundaries, leading to non-contiguous pockets assigned to specific post towns based on proximity to sorting offices. For instance, small enclaves in southern and northern are included due to their alignment with Shrewsbury-based postal operations, despite not forming a continuous territory. Terrain within the SY area is predominantly rural, featuring a mix of rolling countryside, dispersed market towns like and , and elevated hilly landscapes. Key features include the pastoral Plain in the north transitioning to the rugged and Long Mynd in the south, with river valleys such as the providing fertile lowlands amid steeper slopes and moorlands. In the Welsh sections, northern and contribute upland plateaus and broad valleys suited to grazing and forestry, enhancing the area's overall character of low-density, scenic countryside with limited urban development. This diverse supports and while overlapping with various local authority jurisdictions, as detailed elsewhere.

Local Authority Areas

The SY postcode area spans multiple local authority jurisdictions, primarily in , reflecting its position along the national border. The largest portion falls under , a in that administers the bulk of the postcode districts centered around and surrounding towns. Other key authorities include County Council in , which covers extensive rural areas in mid-Wales, and County Council, responsible for coastal and upland districts in . Smaller segments lie within , , , and Wrexham County Borough Council, highlighting the area's fragmented administrative landscape. Coverage varies by postcode district, with the majority aligned to Shropshire Council, particularly SY1 through SY13, which encompass urban and rural communities like Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Market Drayton. Districts SY15 to SY22 are predominantly under , including towns such as Newtown, , and . SY23 to SY25 fall mainly within , serving and Tregaron. SY14 extends into around Malpas, while SY7 and SY8 include pockets in near . Marginal areas in SY20 touch , and parts of SY11 and SY13 border Wrexham County Borough Council. In terms of geographic coverage, approximately 63% of the SY area lies in , 21% in , 10% in , 3% in , 1% in , less than 1% in , and 1% in former regions, primarily .
Postcode DistrictPrimary Local AuthorityExample Coverage Areas
SY1–SY5
SY6–SY9, ,
SY10–SY13, Ellesmere, Whitchurch (with minor extensions)
SY14Malpas
SY15–SY22Powys County CouncilMontgomery, Newtown, (with minor extensions in SY20)
SY23–SY25Ceredigion County Council, Tregaron
SY7–SY8 (partial)Northern near
These administrative divisions create cross-border challenges, particularly along the England-Wales boundary, affecting services like healthcare, planning permissions, and local elections. For example, residents in border areas may access NHS services under differing funding models, leading to disparities in provision and reimbursement between English and Welsh authorities. In response, councils including , , and have established collaborative agreements to streamline joint planning, , and emergency services, as seen in a 2023 cross-border partnership aimed at addressing shared infrastructure needs. Electoral systems also differ, with English districts following Westminster-based voting and Welsh ones incorporating alignments, complicating resident participation in devolved matters. No major boundary adjustments to these local authorities have occurred since 2020, maintaining the current structure established by earlier reforms—Shropshire as a unitary authority since 2009 and Welsh councils like Powys and Ceredigion since 1996—despite ongoing discussions on regional devolution in England.

Postal Structure

Postcode Districts

The SY postcode area encompasses 26 postcode districts, designated as SY1 through SY25 along with the non-geographic SY99, which together support efficient mail processing at the Mail Centre. These districts are delineated by primarily for optimizing sorting and delivery operations rather than adhering strictly to geographic or administrative boundaries, resulting in some Welsh communities being assigned to English post towns such as . In total, the area includes 82 postcode sectors across these districts. The districts SY1 to SY5 form the core around in , with SY1 focusing on the town center and featuring 5 sectors (SY1 1–4 and SY1 9). SY2 covers northern Shrewsbury, SY3 southern suburbs including Bicton Heath and Bayston Hill, SY4 rural locales around and villages like Baschurch (with 6 sectors), and SY5 areas such as Minsterley and Pontesbury. Districts SY6 to SY9 extend across southern , where SY6 and SY7 serve , , and parts of ; SY8 is centered on itself; and SY9 on . Northern districts SY10 to SY13 address the Shropshire-Welsh border vicinity, with SY10 and SY11 dedicated to and adjacent spots like Gobowen, SY12 to Ellesmere, and SY13 to Whitchurch. The border districts SY13 to SY16 incorporate areas in , including Whitchurch (SY13), Malpas in (SY14), Montgomery (SY15), and Newtown in , (SY16). Further south, SY17 to SY25 primarily span , covering (SY17), (SY18), Llanbrynmair (SY19) and (SY20), (SY21), (SY22), (SY23), Bow Street and Borth (SY24), and Tregaron with Ystrad Meurig (SY25). SY99 serves non-geographic purposes, such as dedicated addresses for large organizations or government entities in , exemplified by sites.

Post Towns

The post town serves as a critical element in postal addresses, appearing in capital letters immediately after the thoroughfare or locality and before the postcode, to identify the principal sorting and delivery office responsible for mail distribution within the postcode district. In the SY postcode area, this designation ensures efficient routing of correspondence and parcels through designated centers, even when the recipient's location is geographically remote from the named . maintains these s as standardized units independent of local authority boundaries, facilitating automated sorting processes. The SY area encompasses 32 post towns, some of which cover multiple postcode districts while others are specific to a single district; for instance, handles SY1 through SY5 as well as SY99 for post office boxes. Certain districts, such as SY7 and SY24, are assigned to more than one post town to reflect localized delivery arrangements. This structure includes both English and Welsh post towns, like Montgomery (SY15), which serves areas including Abermule. All SY mail is processed via these post towns, with variations arising from historical overlaps, such as partial coverage in (SY8). The following table enumerates the postcode districts and their assigned post towns:
Postcode DistrictPost Town(s)
SY1
SY2
SY3
SY4
SY5
SY6
SY7Bucknell,
SY8
SY9
SY10
SY11
SY12Ellesmere
SY13Whitchurch
SY14Malpas
SY15Montgomery
SY16Newtown
SY17, Llandinam
SY18
SY19Llanbrynmair
SY20
SY21
SY22Llanfechain, ,
SY23
SY24Borth,
SY25Tregaron, Ystrad Meurig
SY99
This assignment reflects Royal Mail's operational framework, where post towns like (SY10–SY11) and (SY21) also incorporate nearby Welsh localities such as Meifod.

Historical Development

UK Postcode System Origins

The origins of the postcode system trace back to the mid-19th century, driven by the need to handle increasing mail volumes following postal reforms in 1840. In 1857, Sir Rowland Hill, the architect of the uniform penny post, introduced the world's first postal districts in to streamline sorting amid the capital's rapid and issues with duplicate street names. These initial districts, such as EC (East Central) and WC (West Central), covered a 12-mile radius around and were denoted by compass directions, marking the earliest structured approach to geographic mail routing. Efforts to expand this concept nationally gained momentum after , culminating in a pioneering trial in in 1959. Selected for its modern sorting facilities equipped with eight new machines, Norwich tested the first alphanumeric postcodes, using a format like "NOR 20F" where the initial letters represented the and subsequent characters indicated streets or districts. Although adoption was initially low—with fewer than half of letters using the codes—the trial demonstrated the potential for automated sorting and paved the way for a nationwide system. The full implementation unfolded across the 1960s and 1970s under the management of the General Post Office (GPO), later restructured as the Post Office Corporation. Starting with areas like in 1966, the rollout adopted a standardized alphanumeric format dividing each postcode into an outward code—for example, a one- or two-character area code like SY followed by a numeral—and an inward code of numeric and alphabetic elements for precise local delivery. This structure was designed to be predominantly geographic, aligning with natural delivery routes and administrative boundaries, yet optimized for mechanical and later electronic sorting efficiency rather than strict population proportionality. The system encompasses 121 postcode areas in total, with SY designated as one of the provincial areas covering parts of and . Key milestones included the completion of postcode assignment across by 1974, marking the end of an eight-year national program that recoded even the original Norwich trial area. Following the Postal Services Act 2011 and subsequent privatization in 2013, responsibility for maintaining and assigning postcodes shifted to the now-private , ensuring continuity in the system's operation while adapting to modern demands like digital addressing.

Establishment and Evolution of SY Area

The SY postcode area was established in the early during the phased national rollout of the UK's alphanumeric postcode system, which began trials in and extended across provinces from 1966 to 1974, with the West Midlands and adjacent Welsh regions implemented around 1972. Named after as the central and operational hub, the SY area was designed to cover rural and semi-urban localities in and parts of , facilitating mechanized sorting and delivery efficiency in a region spanning . Since its inception, the SY area has seen evolutionary adjustments primarily focused on operational streamlining rather than wholesale redesigns. No significant territorial alterations have taken place after 2000, reflecting the stability of the postcode framework post-national implementation. Mail processing for the SY area has undergone a notable shift for greater centralization. Originally managed at the sorting office since the area's launch, operations were transferred in 2013 to the Mail Centre (in the ) as part of Royal Mail's network modernization to consolidate bulk handling and reduce regional redundancies; this change affected SY alongside parts of and other nearby codes. Ongoing updates to the SY area remain minimal and targeted, with occasional boundary tweaks to incorporate new residential or commercial developments without disrupting established districts. The SY99 sector, introduced in 2002, serves special non-geographic purposes, including PO boxes and dedicated mail streams for entities like the at Castle Foregate in .

Visual and Boundary Information

District Maps

The standard visual representation of the SY postcode area is provided by labelled maps of postcode , which depict indicative boundaries for districts SY1 through SY25 in red outlines, with post towns labelled in grey. These maps utilize an based on the WGS84 datum and are derived from open data, specifically employing Voronoi polygons constructed from median coordinates of unit postcodes in the Code-Point Open dataset to define district boundaries. Key features of these maps emphasize the concentration of urban centers, particularly the cluster of districts SY1 to SY5 centered on in , illustrating the area's primary hub, while also showing the irregular extensions into , such as districts SY16 to SY25 spanning from Newtown to Tregaron. The Code-Point Open data underpins these visualizations by supplying precise geographic locations for over 1.7 million postcode units across , enabling accurate and mapping of the SY area's 25 districts without reliance on administrative boundaries alone. Such district maps serve as essential references for and , particularly in highlighting irregular portions like SY13, which extends into in northeast alongside areas in and . They facilitate understanding of the SY area's cross-border nature, adjacent to postcode areas like and TF, by providing a clear diagrammatic overview of internal layouts.

Adjacent Postcode Areas

The SY postcode area, encompassing much of and parts of and , shares borders with several adjacent postcode areas that facilitate cross-regional mail flow and reflect historical postal sorting practices. To the north, the SY area adjoins the CH (Chester) and CW (Crewe) postcode areas in , as well as the LL (Llandudno) area in , where geographic proximity supports shared rural delivery routes across the Cheshire-Shropshire border. On the eastern side, it borders the TF (Telford), WV (Wolverhampton), DY (Dudley), and WR (Worcester) postcode areas, primarily within the West Midlands, enabling efficient mail exchange for urban and semi-urban locales near Shrewsbury and Telford. The southern boundary interfaces with the HR (Hereford) area in England and the LD (Llandrindod Wells) area in Wales, where the hilly terrain of the Shropshire Hills and Welsh borders influences postal logistics for remote communities. Western adjacencies include the SA (Swansea) and LL (Llandudno) areas in , along with CH (Chester) to the northwest, though the SY area's coastal proximity to limits direct land contact with SA to minor enclaves near . These borders exhibit interactions such as shared mail processing; for instance, certain mail from the SY area is handled at the Chester Mail Centre alongside items from the CH and LL areas, optimizing national distribution for border-spanning correspondence. Boundary anomalies arise from assignments, where delivery logic prioritizes sorting efficiency over strict geographic alignment, resulting in occasional overlaps—such as SY districts routing through adjacent TF or LD offices for final delivery in transitional zones.

References

  1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SY_postcode_area_map.svg
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