Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB03/01/033

Address :
Telephone Kiosk The Diamond Kilrea Co. Londonderry BT51 5QQ

Townland:
Kilrea

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
15/03/1996 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Telephone Kiosk

Former Use
Telephone Kiosk

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
41-16

IG Ref:
C9261 1247

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

A square plan, freestanding K6 telephone kiosk of cast iron construction, which is painted red and has glazing to three elevations. Built to the standardised design generated by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, this kiosk is located to the south-east corner of ‘The Diamond’ area, which is situated at the centre of Kilrea town. Erected during the mid 20th century the kiosk has had modern telephone equipment installed and continues to fulfill its original function. The symmetrical structure on a concrete base has a shallow, cast-iron domed roof carried on moulded pediments . The panels beneath the roof have glazed, opaque rectangular signs reading ‘Telephone’ and are surmounted by a raised crown moulding on each of the four elevations. All sides are glazed with 8x3 panes of plain glass except for the west which has a blank back panel and foundry plate beneath. Timber and painted door to south elevation with metal door handle (some glass panes are missing) and a ‘Pull’ sign. Phone equipment to the interior has been modernised and the kiosk is in a fairly good state of repair. Setting The structure is located on a prominent site within the central square of the town; with shops to the south and east, a main traffic junction directly to the north west. Due to the open nature of this area, a number of adjacent listed structures have direct visual interaction with the kiosk; including the war memorial at the centre of the square (HB03/01/004) and the former hotel to the north east corner (HB03/01/005). Roof: Cast-iron RWG: None Walling: Cast-iron, painted Windows: Single pane with glazing bars

Architects

Gilbert Scott, Sir Giles

Historical Information

The telephone kiosk within the central Diamond of Kilrea is situated within the historic core of the town, which was laid out during the mid 18th century. A ‘telephone box’ is first captioned on the second edition OS map (1925), located in the current position. However, the existing kiosk is an example of the K6 model, introduced in 1936. The box is captioned on the 1974 OS map, but is not shown on the earlier 1925 edition indicating that the existing box replaced an earlier kiosk, sometime during the mid 20th century. Introduced by the General Post Office the K6 kiosk it is one of the mass-produced models, built to the iconic designs of architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Born in London, Scott was a celebrated figure in British architecture; noted for the designs of Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. Constructed in cast-iron, compact in size and easily mass-produced the design of the K6 was developed from Scott’s previous telephone kiosk models, the K2 and K3. Distributed throughout the UK from 1936 the K6 represents the most successful and populous type of kiosk to be introduced with over 10,000 being manufactured. Despite widespread replacement with modern kiosks in recent decades, the K6 model emerged as and continues to be a key feature of the UK streetscape. Resources Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/10/5/27/5/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey County map (1905) 2. PRONI OS/10/5/27/5/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey County map (1925) 3. PRONI OS/6/5/27/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map, six inch series (1925-33) 4. PRONI OS/11/41/16/1- First Edition OS map, eleven inch series (1974) Secondary Sources 1. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (http://www.oxforddnb.com) 2. The Telephone Box (http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance Z. Rarity V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

In conjunction with the adjacent listed buildings, the structure contributes to the historic fabric and visual character of The Diamond. An example of the mass produced K6 telephone booth designed by the prominent architect Sir Giles Gibert Scott, it is an iconic feature of the UK streetscape. The kiosk continues to function it was intended and is a relatively rare example in N Ireland.

General Comments

Additional listing criteria apply -R- Age, S- Authenticity, T- Historic Importance

Date of Survey

24 September 2012