Summary

K6 telephone kiosk.

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.

The K6 kiosk is on the High Street in the historic core of Fletching, where a cluster of listed buildings are located. The kiosk is set back from the road in a passage between two listed buildings, one being the former post office (the village shop in 2017) with which the kiosk has a contextual relationship. On the E side of the High Street, opposite the kiosk, are a C17 building subdivided into three cottages (NHLE 1028429, Grade II) and Churchgate Cottage (NHLE 1191527, Grade II). The K6 appears intact, but has modernised internal equipment*.

* Pursuant to s1 (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 neoclassical 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.

Reasons for Listing

The K6 telephone kiosk, High Street, Fletching is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: as an iconic example of C20 industrial design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott;
* Context: with a strong contextual relationship with the Grade II-listed former post office.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478638

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.

Recommended Books

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  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
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  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
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  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
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  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)