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 Main Street kiosk bears the Tudor Crown, which dates manufacture to between 1936 and 1953, the K6 design was discontinued in 1968.
The kiosk is located along Main Street within the large village of Stranocum and is located on the footpath immediately adjacent to the road. The location is prominent along Main Street within Stranocum. The glazing is predominantly Perspex. The kiosk is in good condition apart from visible repair work to the door, the high-level signage is intact on all sides. The lower leather door hinge strap is missing.

Historical information

The precise date of the installation of this ‘K6’ model telephone kiosk is difficult to determine. Two minor design features, (namely the asymmetrically arranged cable entry holes near the bottom of the rear panel and the particular version of the Tudor crown motif), indicate that it was manufactured sometime between 1939 and 1953, whilst its closeness to what was once the local post office, (present nos.52-54 Main St), suggests it is pre-1949 (see below). The lack of
references in contemporary newspapers and other sources plus the fact that the earliest available OS map on which the kiosk is marked is of 1972, makes a more exact dating problematic, however. Given wartime exigencies it is perhaps more likely that it was placed here after 1945, but we cannot be certain.

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 22-04 – 1972

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 1 October 2025)
5 GPO - KIOSK No. 6 (K6) - https://www.britishtelephones.com/k6.htm (accessed 1 October 2025)
6 ‘Grace’s guide to British industrial history’ - Walter Macfarlane and Co - Graces Guide (accessed 1 October 2025)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This structurally intact telephone kiosk designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott is a 1936 to 1953 K6 model, as indicated by the presence of a moulded Tudor crown cypher. It is located in a prominent location within the village of Stranocum and adds to the distinctiveness of the setting. This iconic piece of street furniture, once common but almost entirely replaced by modern mobile phone use, is now increasingly rare.