Telephone Kiosk at Bovean Cottages

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A ‘K6’ telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, dating from pre-1953. The kiosk is located along the roadside in front of Bovean Cottages on Bovean Road, approximately 7km east of Dungannon, but evidence suggests that it was originally sited originally sited roughly 1km (in terms of road travel) to the southwest, close to the junction of Derrygally Rd and Trewmount Rd and was moved to its current location c.1973-75.

The kiosk has the usual cast-iron body painted red, but with many of the original glazed panels replaced with perspex. Each elevation displays a Tudor crown motif over a glazed ‘TELEPHONE’ panel. The door opens to the south and the west side which faces directly onto the main road, is blank.

Historical information

This telephone kiosk can be dated to pre-1953, the period during which this particular version of the ‘K6’ type was in use (see below). However, it is not marked on the 1972 OS map, and as such would appear to have been relocated from elsewhere. Map evidence suggests that it was originally sited roughly 1km (in terms of road travel) to the southwest, close to the junction of Derrygally Rd and Trewmount Rd, just within Trew townland. A local resident has stated that it was moved to its present position c.1973-75 due to safety considerations. It is first marked at its current site on the 1989 map.

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 paying a five-year subscription of £4.

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 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 180-2 – 1972, 1989

Secondary Sources
2 N. Johannessen, ‘Telephone Boxes’ Shire Publications (Princes Risborough 1994).
3 The Telephone Box - http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/ (accessed August 2019)
4 Information from local resident (supplied to HED via Mid Ulster District Council – May 2025)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A telephone kiosk of the K6 type designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, located in a semi-rural setting at Bovean Way, east of Dungannon. This example has had many of its original glazed panes replaced with perspex and unusually has its blank face to the road. It is not marked on this site on the 1972 OS map, and appears for the first time on the 1989 map. As such it would appear to have been relocated. The kiosk does not meet the criteria for listing.