Telephone Kiosk

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

K6 telephone kiosk located with its back to the NE elevation of Killevy Post Office (HB16/13/021A).

Standard red painted cast-iron kiosk with eight glazed margin-paned panels to three faces – including door to front (NE) face. All glazed in transparent plastic sheet. Shallow doomed roof with Crown fascia and ‘TELEPHONE’ (in red letters on white) on all four sides. Back (SW) panel is plain.

All modern telephone fittings internally (of no interest).

Historical information

Around 45, 000 of these kiosks were installed in Britain by the mid 1950s. This is a standard K6 ‘Jubilee’ kiosk, which was introduced in 1936, and was itself a variant on the K2 kiosk designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.

The last of these kiosks were installed in the early 1950s. After 1955 a slot fascia at top was introduced to accommodate one of two royal crowns. Following the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 two different crowns were cast. In recognition of the fact that the new Monarch was also Queen Elizabeth I of Scotland, one represented St. Edward's Crown for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the other the Queen’s Crown of Scotland. The original K6 livery was Post Office red (BS381C-red538), but following the installation of the K8s, all kiosks were painted Poppy red (BS381C-red539).

Primary Source:
1. N. Johannessen, ‘Telephone Boxes’ Shire Publications (Princes Risborough 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An interesting structure, typical of many thousands erected around the United Kingdom.