K8 Phonebox, Nebo

Cadw's description

Location

In the small hamlet of Nebo, adjacent to Glan Gors Uchaf, Ffordd Nebo LL54 6EF.

History

The K8 phone kiosk was designed in 1965-6 by the architect Bruce Martin and was introduced in July 1968. There were two distinct designs for the roof, the mark 1 which has a curving line running round the roof and the much more common mark 2 in which the illuminated panel is enclosed in a simple lozenge shaped cast that was introduced after 1976. BT started to replace the K8 from 1984/5 and very few survive in situ. As a mark 2 design this phone kiosk was probably installed sometime between 1976 and 1984.

Exterior

Mark 2 design consisting of six cast iron parts and an aluminium door. Three sides of the kiosk, including the door, contain large sheets of toughened glass or perspex set in rectangular frames with rounded corners. The kiosk has a square plan with a flat roof dome that is glazed with toughened glass on four sides with rectangular panes, again with rounded corners, each bearing the word 'TELEPHONE' on a white background. Glass panel facing road replaced with plastic.

Interior

Phone and all other telecom equipment removed.

Reason for designation

Listed as the only known survival in situ of a K8 phone kiosk in Wales. The K8 was the last public phone kiosk commissioned by the GPO and designed by an architect. As such it contributes to our understanding of the historic development of the telecommunications industry and the use of public telephone kiosks, particularly in connecting remote rural communities to the outside world, before the introduction and widespread use of domestic landlines and, later on, mobile phones.