Telephone Kiosk, Rockdale Road, The Rock, Co Tyrone

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A freestanding cast-iron telephone kiosk of the K6 type, located at the centre of The Rock hamlet, north of Dungannon. It is four-sided, rectangular on plan, constructed in cast-iron sections.

Shallow domed roof with convex moulded edges, giving segmental-headed profile to each face; each entablature is slightly set back from the main panel, having an illuminated glazed rectangular sign in obscure glass reading TELEPHONE in serif lettering (some panels faded) and having moulded Royal (St. Edward's) Crown over. Fixed full-height margin-paned glazed panels to east and west, and similarly configured hinged door with steel cup handle to north; each glazed panel is surrounded by plain decorative moulding. The south side is solid, having a simple blank panel conforming to the dimensions of the glazed panels; foundry plate fixed close to bottom edge, reading 'LION FOUNDRY / CO. LTD / KIRKINTILLOCH'. Mounted on a concrete base.

Set on a slightly elevated landscaped green along Rockdale Road, accessed via a tarmac path from the road to north and the row of houses to south. A stone sculpture of 'The Water Carrier' (2015) is located directly to east, with commemoration plaque. A listed pump (HB19/05/016) is located a short distance to west.

Roof: Cast iron
Walls: Cast iron
Windows: N/A
RWG: N/A

Historical information

The village of The Rock (Carraig) derives its name from a stone quarry near the site, which operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The kiosk does not appear on any of the historic OS map series. Precise date of installation iof this kiosk s not known, but it is likely to have been between post-1955, due to the fact that the crown motif is contained within a panel slotted into the fascia, a change brought about in this year in order to allow the Scottish crown to be ieasily nserted into kiosks destined for Scotland without the entire casting having to be altered.

The K6 kiosk is one of eight kiosk types introduced by the General Post Office between 1926 and 1983, and is the most popular type, having iconic status. The K6 was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the coronation of King George V in 1935 and the type remained in use until 1968. Some 8,000 kiosks were installed as part of the 'Jubilee Concession', allowing 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 paying a five year subscription of £4. Lion Foundry was an architectural and sanitary ironfounders, based in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, established in 1880. Initially they designed ornamental gates, railings etc, but expanded to produce larger items such as bandstands, canopies and fountains. The foundry also developed a reputation for theatre projects and worked with Frank Matcham – designer of the Grand Opera House in Belfast. A decline in architectural ironwork after 1950 resulted in the company seeking contracts for street furniture, such as telephone boxes and post boxes..

The stone sculpture to west is by Audriy Cherpanyak, and commemorates local writer Ellen Beck (1856-1924).

Secondary Sources:
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Lion_Foundry
http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/kiosks/k6/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

The telephone kiosk at The Rock, Dungannon, is a good surviving example of the iconic K6 telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the coronation of King George V. Such items of street furniture were once central to the social and communications infrastructure of communities such as Rock, and now stand as important relics of the evolving communication network throughout the twentieth century, becoming increasingly rare. They are also representative of the potential of cast-iron for mass-produced structures, which was fully exploited by national bodies such as the GPO. Its presence enlivens the picturesque rural hamlet of The Rock, and is enhanced by the surviving water pump (HB09/05/016), which occupies the same central 'green' area.

General comments

Listing Query ref: HB09/LQ020