Summary

A K6 telephone kiosk, to Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's 1935 design, which stands at the north-east corner of The Square, Merton, Devon.

Description

The K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides and with the crowns situated on the top panels being applied not perforated. There are rectangular white display signs, reading TELEPHONE beneath the shallow-curved roof. It has modernised internal equipment. The example under consideration is in a good state of intactness; the display signs above the door are still clear, and the kiosk retains its glass windows.

History

The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 for the General Post Office, on the occasion of King George V's Silver Jubilee. The K6 was a development from his earlier highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, of Neo-classical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost-effective to mass produce. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important of modern British architects; his many celebrated commissions include the Anglican cathedral of Liverpool and Battersea power station. The K2 and K6 telephone kiosks can be said to represent a very thoughtful adaptation of architectural tradition to contemporary technological requirements. Well over 70,000 K6s were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with a new kiosk type. But many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

The kiosk was listed in 1992, when it stood in the garden of the post office, towards the north-east end of the village. The post office has since closed and the building is now a private residence, whilst the telephone kiosk has been relocated to a position just off the main road, at the north side of a square which lies in front of the churchyard towards the south-west end of the village. The telephone kiosk now stands next to a bus shelter, occupying a recess in the adjacent wall.

Reasons for Listing

The K6 telephone kiosk in The Square, Merton, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reason:
* Group value: The telephone kiosk has a strong visual relationship with a number of other listed buildings, grouped around the square

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26398925

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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