Telephone Kiosk, Quintinbay Road, Portaferry, Co Down, BT22 1RE

Telephone Kiosk, Quintinbay Road, Portaferry

A K6 telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, installed sometime between 1955 and 1965. The kiosk stands in a rural countryside setting on the south side of Quintinbay Road, approximately 50 metres from the junction with Ballyfounder Road and 3.75 kilometres south-east of Portaferry.

The kiosk comprises the characteristic K6 cast-iron body painted red, with a teak door opening to the west. The glazing is modern perspex, with all panes intact though heavily weathered. Each elevation displays the St. Edward's crown motif over a glazed 'TELEPHONE' panel, except the north elevation where this panel is missing. Following standard arrangement, the south face, where the telephone itself is attached, is blank. The south elevation is obscured by dense vegetation. The kiosk continues to fulfil its original function, though it appears no longer in regular use.

The K6 model was originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Constructed from cast-iron with a teak door and compact in size, it was easily mass-produced and represented a development of Scott's earlier telephone kiosk models, the K2 (introduced in 1926) and K3 (1929). Distribution throughout the United Kingdom began in 1936, and the design proved to be the most successful and populous kiosk type ever introduced, with approximately 60,000 examples placed around the country. About 8,000 were installed as part of the 'Jubilee Concession', which allowed towns and villages with a post office to apply for a kiosk. A year later, under the 'Tercentenary Concession' celebrating the Post Office's 300th anniversary, a further 1,000 kiosks were installed over twelve years for local authorities paying a five-year subscription of £4.

A minor alteration to the K6 design occurred following the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, when the Tudor crown motif was replaced with the St. Edward's crown. From 1955, the Crown of Scotland was used for kiosks in Scotland, with a slot in the fascia allowing either version to be inserted into all kiosks manufactured from that date onwards. The model continued in production until 1968, when the more modernist K8, designed by Bruce Martin, was introduced.

This particular kiosk can be dated to between approximately 1955 and 1965, with the first available Ordnance Survey map showing it dated to 1965. Mid-20th century kiosks of this type are now increasingly rare, and rurally located roadside examples such as this have become particularly scarce.