Telephone Kiosk, 79 Montiaghroe Road, Kesh, BT93 1EJ

A telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, this is a pre-1953 K6-model, as indicated by the Tudor Crown cypher. The kiosk is a square-plan, freestanding cast-iron structure painted red, with glazing to three of the elevations and a solid panel to the fourth. It was constructed between 1940 and 1959 and remains in working order and in an excellent state of repair.

Built to Scott's standardised design of 1935, the kiosk is of compact size and easily mass-produced construction, developed from Scott's earlier telephone kiosk models: the larger K2 (introduced in 1926) and K3 (1929). The K6 was designed to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and was distributed throughout the UK from 1936. It represents the most successful and populous type of kiosk to be introduced, with some 60,000 being placed around the country. About 8,000 of these 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 12 years for local authorities willing to pay a five-year subscription of £4. After 1949, this was succeeded by the 'Rural Allocation scheme', under which kiosks were placed in out-of-town areas upon the recommendation of a rural authority. The model continued in production until 1968 when the more modernist K8, designed by Bruce Martin, was introduced.

A minor alteration in 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 that country, with a slot in the fascia allowing either version to be inserted into all those manufactured from this date.

The kiosk is constructed of cast iron with a teak door and features single-pane windows with glazing bars. It retains an unusually large proportion of glass, greater than 70 percent. The roof is of cast iron with no rainwater goods. Signage reading 'TELEPHONE' is original though faded on the south and east elevations and missing on the elevation adjacent to the post office (west). The door handle appears to be replaced but matches the original design. Modern telephone equipment has been installed and the fluorescent light is a replacement, though these changes were agreed to be appropriate and do not damage the building's architectural and historical worth.

The kiosk sits in front of Drumskinney Post Office in a rural setting on the Montiaghroe Road near Kesh, Fermanagh. It is likely in excellent condition due to its rural location and immediate proximity to the working post office and dwelling. The kiosk was marked as a telephone call box on the Ordnance Survey map of 1962, positioned next to what was then the local Post Office. The kiosk itself is of the 'Tudor' crown variety, suggesting it was installed here sometime after 1936 but before 1953. It still remains in working order and makes an important contribution to the history of the area, forming a rural node with the post office and post box that tells the story of early 20th century rural communications. During its lifetime, the kiosk has adapted to keep pace with changes in society and technology, including upgrading of equipment and vandal-proofing measures. This process contributes to the building's significance by illustrating changing values and revealing the effects of change over time. Once common street furniture, it is now almost entirely replaced by modern mobile phone use.