K6 Telephone Kiosk

This is a K6 telephone kiosk, dating from the 20th century. It is representative of a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides, and features applied crowns on the top panels, rather than perforated ones. Rectangular white display signs read "TELEPHONE" beneath the shallow-curved roof. The interior contains modernised telephone equipment. While generally intact, the kiosk has had some windows replaced with perspex and is missing a small section at the bottom right-hand corner of its door.

The kiosk is situated between the East Kent Road Car company buildings and St. John’s Hospital Almshouses, both designated as buildings of group value. It is located near several other listed buildings, approximately 20 metres to the east (Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 Cattle Market) and 20 metres to the north (No. 12 Delfs Street). These listed buildings create a visual group when viewed from both the north of Delfs Street and the south of Cattle Market, establishing a close visual relationship with the kiosk.

The K6 telephone kiosk was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 for the General Post Office to commemorate King George V’s Silver Jubilee. It evolved from Scott’s earlier K2 design, being more streamlined, compact, and cost-effective to produce. Scott was a highly significant British architect, responsible for landmark works such as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. The K6 and K2 kiosks represent a considered adaptation of architectural traditions to meet contemporary technological needs; over 70,000 K6 kiosks were eventually produced. Many were replaced in the 1960s, but they remain an iconic feature of the British streetscape.

The kiosk is designated at Grade II for its significance as a major landmark in industrial design, and for its strong visual relationship with several other listed buildings.