Description

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1935 (produced 1936'1968). K6 telephone kiosk in picturesque setting in front of former West Mill (see separate listing) in Dean Village. Cast-iron, painted Post Office red. 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 above; 4 segmental-headed pediments terminating in saucer dome.

Statement of Interest

This telephone kiosk is prominently situated on the main thoroughfare through the picturesque Dean Village. The kiosk is adjacent to West Mill (see separate listing) one of the former mills in the Dean Village and opposite the former schoolhouse (see separate listing) and Water of Leith Bridge (see separate listing). All of those buildings in close proximity to the box are listed, as in addition is nearby Well Court.

The K6 is also known as the Jubilee Kiosk, commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V. It was at this time that 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 Fine Arts 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 Sonian 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 Sonian 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 margins. 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).

List description revised as part of resurvey (2009).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17794577

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)