Telephone Kiosk, near 112 Ballylesson Road, Belfast BT8

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A ‘K6’ telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, dating from sometime between 1938 and c.1953. The kiosk is set in semi-rural surrounds on the southern outskirts of Belfast, on the southeast side of Ballylesson Road, close to the junction with Purdysburn Hill, and is located next to a property (112 Ballylesson Road) that was once the local post office.

The Kiosk has the usual cast-iron body painted red, but with what appears to be largely replacement glazing. Each elevation displays the ‘Tudor’ crown motif over a glazed ‘TELEPHONE’ panel. The door opens to the southwest facing side and following the standard arrangement the opposite side, which backs directly into a boundary wall, is blank.

In the walling attached to the western corner of the neighbouring property is a victorian ('VR') wall-mounted post box.

Historical information

This telephone kiosk can be dated to sometime between 1938 (it is not marked on the OS map of that year) and c.1953, (the period during which this particular version of the ‘K6’ type was in use -see below). The first available OS map on which it is shown is that dated 1972 [1]. In common with many kiosks, it is located next to a property that served as the local post office; map evidence suggests this function was carried out from at least 1955 until at least 1974 [3], although the presence of a victorian post box in the boundary walling suggests it had acted as such from a much earlier date.

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.

Sources - Primary Sources
1 OS maps, 1938, 1972
2 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 8 July 1955, 7 June 1974

Secondary Sources
3. N. Johannessen, ‘Telephone Boxes’ Shire Publications (Princes Risborough 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A well-preserved K6 type telephone kiosk of c.1938-53, located next to a property that served as the local post office on Ballylesson Road on the southern edge of Belfast. While map evidence suggests the function of the post office was carried out from at least 1955 until at least 1974 [3], the presence of a Victorian post box in the boundary walling a short distance away from the telephone kiosk suggests it had acted as such from a much earlier date. Once common, these iconic pieces of street furniture are now increasingly rare, and intact working examples such as this even more so.

General comments

Description etc entered 16 December 2016. PS

Previously a LQ HB19/LQ168