History in Structure

Telephone Call Box, Crathie Parish Church

A Category B Listed Building in Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside, Aberdeenshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 57.04 / 57°2'23"N

Longitude: -3.2145 / 3°12'52"W

OS Eastings: 326396

OS Northings: 794976

OS Grid: NO263949

Mapcode National: GBR W7.BGTX

Mapcode Global: WH6MC.L9GX

Plus Code: 9C9R2QQP+X5

Entry Name: Telephone Call Box, Crathie Parish Church

Listing Name: Crathie, K6 Telephone Kiosk at Crathie Parish Church

Listing Date: 23 June 1989

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 333965

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB2991

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200333965

Location: Crathie and Braemar

County: Aberdeenshire

Electoral Ward: Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside

Parish: Crathie And Braemar

Traditional County: Aberdeenshire

Tagged with: Church building Infrastructure

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Description

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1935; produced 1936-1968. Standard K6 telephone kiosk comprising 3 sides of lying-pane glazing (8 high) with narrow margin lights (one glazed side with cup handle aligned with 4th/5th pane forming door) and a blind cast-iron panel to rear holding telephone and shelf. Rectangular glass opal with TELEPHONE in black lettering to each side with vent below and central embossed crown surmounting; rising into 4 segmental-headed pediments terminating in a saucer dome. Cast-iron, painted Post Office red. Situated on main road at the entrance drive to Crathie Kirk (see separate listing).

Statement of Interest

The K6 is also known as the Jubilee Kiosk, commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V. It was at this time the GPO set up a committee to redesign the telephone kiosk for mass production, with a Jubilee Concession Scheme providing one kiosk for each village with a Post Office. Scott was asked to design the new kiosk in March 1935, and after approval by the Royal Fine Art Commission, the K6 went into production in 1936. The new K6 was constructed from cast-iron and painted Post Office red (in 1924 the same commission had decided on the colour red for the kiosk, as it was "easy to spot and gave an authoritative and official character."). It stands 8 feet 3 inches tall. The new box was based on Scott's 1924 K2 kiosk which had been classical in character with small pane glazing, a reeded Grecian surround and a Soanian dome (believed to have been inspired by that on Sir John Soane's tomb or the lantern above the mausoleum at the Dulwich Picture Gallery). Aware of new architectural trends, Scott applied a modernistic style to his older box. The Grecian fluting was removed but the Soanian dome remained, as did the curved corners (which added strength to the cast-iron panels, now designed to be bolted together and erected in a day). The most noticeable change was the glazing; the horizontal bars were moved sideways to create a broad central light with narrow margin lights. This was to improve visibility and resemble 'moderne' architecture. The design of the box was so popular it remained in production until 1968 when it was superseded by the K8 by Bruce Martin (the K7, by Neville Conder, was never widely used).

External Links

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