Description

SUTTON

427/0/10037 THE STREET
12-AUG-09 K6 Telephone Kiosk

II
K6 telephone kiosk. Cast iron and glass.

DESCRIPTION: This K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red with long horizontal glazing in door and sides, 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 is in current use as a functioning telephone kiosk, with modernised internal equipment. In a recent British Telecom survey it was reported to be in fair condition overall, and retaining all glass windows.

The kiosk stands adjacent to No. 500 The Street (Grade II), and together they form a visual group with the neighbouring Forge House (Grade II). The kiosk is in a conservation area.

HISTORY: The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by 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. 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.

It is reported that, according to local inhabitants, a telephone box has existed in the village since the 1930s and was originally positioned outside a former local shop. The current K6 telephone kiosk is believed to have moved to its present location in the 1960s.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
The K6 telephone kiosk in Sutton is designated for the following principal reasons:
* Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, the K6 is a major landmark of industrial design.
* It stands stands in the immediate vicinity of Grade II listed cottage, No. 500 The Street, and in a strong visual relationship also with the Forge House (Grade II).

Reasons for Listing

The K6 telephone kiosk in Sutton is designated for the following principal reasons:
* Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, the K6 is a major landmark of industrial design.
* It stands in the immediate vicinity of Grade II listed cottage, No. 500 The Street, and in a strong visual relationship also with the Forge House (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672731

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

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)