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 (N, W, S) and incorporating a solid panel to the fourth elevation (E). The Giants Causeway kiosk bears a St Edward’s crown symbol and is a slotted design, this dates the kiosk to having been installed between 1955 and 1965, the K6 design was discontinued in 1968.

The kiosk is in a very prominent location adjacent to the main entrance to the Giants Causeway Visitor Centre. It is located on a footpath adjacent to the Nook Restaurant.

Historical information

This 'K6' model kiosk is a of the variant that was in use between c.1955 and c.1968 (see below). It is shown at this location on the OS map of 1972. During the construction of the nearby Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre c.2010-12, the kiosk appears to have been removed and reinstated at roughly the same location; however, in doing so the structure was reorientated with the door now to the north and the back panel facing east into the wall as opposed to previously when the door was to south and the back panel faced west into the road / drive.

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 33-14 – 1973

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)

Online sources
6 Google Streetview showing view of kiosk from October 2009

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

ThIs telephone kiosk designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott is likely to be a 1955 to 1965 K6 model, as indicated by the presence of the St Edward’s crown. within a slotted design to the pediment. This Kiosk has been relocated from it's original location.. As such the kiosk is of insufficent special architectural or historic interest to consider suitable for listing.