K6 Telephone Kiosk

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A freestanding type K6 telephone kiosk constructed to Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's standardised design of 1935. Cast iron construction painted red with glazing to three elevations (E, S, W) and incorporating a solid panel to the fourth elevation (N). The Boveedy Road kiosk bears the St Edward’s Crown, which dates manufacture between 1953 and 1968, the K6 design was discontinued in 1968.

The kiosk is located adjacent to the junction of the Hillhead Road and Boveedy Road within the northeastern corner of the car park area.

Historical information

This 'K6' kiosk is a variant of the model that was manufactured c.1953-55, just prior to the introduction of a ‘slot’ for the crown motif (see below). A telephone call box (‘TCB’) is marked on this location on the OS map of 1974.

This particular kiosk was manufactured by W[alter] MacFarlane & Co. of the Saracen Foundry, Possilpark, Glasgow, a noted ironworking firm that specialized in ornamental castings and which was in business from 1850 to 1967.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON K6 KIOSKS The K6 model was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Constructed in cast-iron with a teak door, compact in size and easily mass-produced, the design of the K6 was developed from Scott’s previous telephone kiosk models, the larger K2 (introduced in 1926) and K3 (1929). It was distributed throughout the UK from 1936 and represents the most successful and populous type of kiosk to be introduced with some 60,000 being placed around the country. About 8,000 of these were installed as part of the 'Jubilee Concession', which allowed towns and villages with a post office to apply for a kiosk. A year later, under the 'Tercentenary Concession' celebrating the Post Office's 300th anniversary, a further 1,000 kiosks were installed over 12 years for local authorities willing to pay a five-year subscription of £4. After 1949 this was succeeded by the ‘Rural Allocation scheme’, under which kiosks were placed in out-of-town areas upon the recommendation of a rural authority.

A minor alteration in the K6 design occurred following the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, when the ‘Tudor’ crown motif was replaced with the St. Edward’s crown. From 1955 the Crown of Scotland was used for kiosks in that country, a slot in the fascia allowing either version to be inserted into all of those manufactured from this date. The model continued in production until 1968 when the more modernist K8, designed by Bruce Martin, was introduced.

References – Primary sources
1 OS map, IG sheet 41-15 – 1974

Secondary Sources
2 N. Johannessen, ‘Telephone Boxes’ Shire Publications (Princes Risborough, 2010)
3 Linge, Nigel and Sutton, Andy, ‘The British phonebox’, (Amberley Publishing, 2017)
4 The Telephone Box - http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/ (accessed 12 January 2026)
5 GPO - KIOSK No. 6 (K6) - https://www.britishtelephones.com/k6.htm (accessed 12 January 2026)
6 ‘Grace’s guide to British industrial history’ - https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Carron_Co(accessed 12 January 2026)

Evaluation

A K6 telephone kiosk designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott installed between 1953 and 1965. This particular kiosk is not one of the best examples of the K6. The door is missing and damaged, and is now lying on the adjacent ground and the transom is missing to the lower portion of the southern elevation. As such the kiosk is of insufficent special architectural or historic interest to consider it suitable for listing.