Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Telephone Call-box at Ynysypandy
Dolbenmaen, Gwynedd, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Communications
- Date of designation
- 13 June 2025
- Welsh name
- Ciosg Ffôn yn Ynyspandy
- Locality
- Cwm Ystradllyn
- Community
- Dolbenmaen
- Unitary authority
- Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 52.96743, -4.16150
- Cadw reference
- 87955
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1795 "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Cadw's description
Location
At fork in road directly south of Gorseddau (Ynysypandy) Slate factory and Pont y pandy bridge.
History
A K6 type telephone kiosk installed in the early 1950s opposite a post box location established in the early 1900s, when the adjacent slate factory building was still in use for Eisteddfodau and other events.
The K6 was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, architect of London, and introduced UK-wide by the General Post Office in 1936, with minor changes for the K6 Mark 2 from 1939 to make the kiosks less vulnerable to vandalism and coin theft. The K6 was a smaller, lighter and cheaper version of Scott’s 1924 competition winning design for the K2 ‘national kiosk’, which in the event were largely restricted to London. Scott took inspiration from John Soane’s family tomb for the shallow squared dome roof of the kiosk, and for the K6 introduced wider glass panels influenced by Modernist architecture.
Exterior
Red-painted cast-iron kiosk with two glazed sides, blank rear and wooden door with inserted glazed iron panel. Door on west face fitted opposite back panel and hinged left (known as door type A according to Diagram EC1324 of Specification D1140Q). Square plan with slightly raised plinth, glazing each side in horizontal panels with marginal bars. Top has four opalescent panels under shallow Soaneian domed roof with lunettes, each with embossed Tudor crown. Opalescent panels have monolingual ‘TELEPHONE’ lettering. Tudor crowns are flat bottomed and oval-less of the kind which only Macfarlane & Co continued to use on the K6 Mark 2. Rear panel is of K6 Mark 2 type with asymmetrical cable run-in holes at base to either side of manufacturers plate which reads –
MACFARLANE & Co Ltd
SARACEN FOUNDRY
GLASGOW
Interior
Modernised receiver equipment and shelf for telephone directory. 1970s half-cylinder power cover.
Reason for designation
Listed for architectural and historic interest as a K6 call box in a heritage location having group value with nearby listed buildings.
Nearby in the register
- Ynys Pandy felin lechiIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Pont y pandyTransportunder 1 mi
- Gorseddau or Ynysypandy Slate FactorySlate Millunder 1 mi
- Farm Building at EreiniogAgriculture and Subsistenceunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.