Telephone Kiosk at 170 Killowen Road, Rostrevor

Telephone Kiosk at 170 Killowen Road, Rostrevor

This K6 telephone kiosk was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The kiosk dates from between approximately 1955 and 1968, a period when this particular version of the K6 type was in active use. It is located on the north side of Killowen Road, close to number 170, approximately six kilometres south-east of Rostrevor.

The kiosk is constructed of cast iron painted red, featuring the characteristic compact design that made the K6 one of the most successful telephone kiosk models ever produced. Each elevation displays the St. Edward's crown motif in an inset over a glazed TELEPHONE panel. The door opens to the east, and following standard arrangement, the north side—which faces directly into the wall of number 170 Killowen Road—is blank. The kiosk exhibits a slight tilt towards the north. The glazing is of replacement material, though the cast-iron body remains intact.

The K6 design evolved from Scott's earlier kiosk models, the K2 (introduced 1926) and K3 (1929). Following its introduction in 1936, the K6 became distributed throughout the United Kingdom and proved extraordinarily successful, with approximately 60,000 examples placed across the country. Approximately 8,000 were installed under the Jubilee Concession scheme, which enabled towns and villages with a post office to apply for a kiosk. A further 1,000 kiosks were subsequently installed under the Post Office's Tercentenary Concession, celebrating the Post Office's 300th anniversary, over twelve years for local authorities paying a five-year subscription of four pounds.

A significant 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 onwards, 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. The K6 remained in production until 1968, when it was superseded by the more modernist K8, designed by Bruce Martin. This kiosk represents a rare surviving working example of an increasingly scarce form of street furniture.