History in Structure

K6 telephone kiosk

A Grade II Listed Building in Tormarton, South Gloucestershire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.4779 / 51°28'40"N

Longitude: -2.3451 / 2°20'42"W

OS Eastings: 376128

OS Northings: 175493

OS Grid: ST761754

Mapcode National: GBR 0PC.7Y1

Mapcode Global: VH967.93LW

Plus Code: 9C3VFMH3+5X

Entry Name: K6 telephone kiosk

Listing Date: 27 October 2016

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1440447

ID on this website: 101440447

Location: West Littleton, South Gloucestershire, SN14

County: South Gloucestershire

Civil Parish: Tormarton

Traditional County: Gloucestershire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Gloucestershire

Church of England Parish: Tormarton with West Littleton

Church of England Diocese: Bristol

Tagged with: Telephone booth

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Summary


A K6 telephone kiosk.

Description


DESCRIPTION
The K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in 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. The kiosk appears intact. It has modern telecommunications equipment inside*. It stands on the main street through the village, close to the church. The kiosk is approximately 14m from the listed Barn attached to the N of Littleton House (Grade II, NHLE 1214360), and 25m from the listed Cowsheds and attached stable (Grade II, NHLE 1214361). It has a slightly more distant relationship with the parish Church of St James (Grade II, NHLE 1288601) 70m away. The telephone kiosk has a strong visual relationship with these three listed buildings collectively, and in addition is within the West Littleton Conservation Area.

* Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest.


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 far plainer kiosk types. But many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

Reasons for Listing


The K6 telephone kiosk at West Littleton, situated in a conservation area, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Design interest: the K6 kiosk is recognised as an iconic design which is of intrinsic interest;
* Degree of survival: this kiosk appears intact;
* Group value: this telephone kiosk has a strong visual relationship with two listed buildings collectively.

External Links

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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