Telephone Kiosk

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Cast iron construction with domed roof and margined 1x8 paned windows - a large proportion of its windows remain with some replaced with perspex. Signage displaying 'Telephone' in black serif font can also be seen across each of its elevations. Additionally, Tudor Crown insignia in bas-relief positioned centrally across can be found above the signage display.

Historical information

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 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, though some K6s do seem to have installed - or perhaps moved from elsewhere - after this date.

Kiosk at 33 Derryharney Rd – It is difficult to trace the history of this particular kiosk. The neighbouring house served as a post office from some time prior to 1906 and like many others there is a high probability that a telephone box would have been installed next to it at some point after 1936. However, although an outline that could represent a kiosk is shown here on the 1958 OS map, this is not captioned as a ‘TCB’ (‘Telephone Call Box’), as was the norm with similar structures, only being marked as such on the 1985 map. It is of course possible that was placed here sometime between 1958 and 1968 when the K6 variety was discontinued, but the lack of a map dating from between these years (or any other evidence) makes it difficult confirm whether this was indeed the case, or whether the kiosk was relocated here at some later - post-1968 – date.

References – Primary sources
1 OS map, IG series, sheet 230-14 – 1958; sheet 230 - 1985

Secondary Sources
2 N. Johannessen, ‘Telephone Boxes’ Shire Publications (Princes Risborough, 1994)
3 The Telephone Box - http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/ (accessed 18 November 2024)
4 GPO - KIOSK No. 6 (K6) (www.britishtelephones.com) (accessed 18 November 2024)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

The phone booth has remained in good integrity with many of its original features, however, there was insufficient evidence to suggest the phone booth has remained in its original location and setting, therefore the decision is not to list.