Building record MDR24185 - K6 Telephone Kiosk, Simmondley Lane, Glossop

K6 telephone kiosk, Simmondley Lane, Glossop, erected c1935. The kiosk was considered for listing by Historic England in 2020 but was not added to the National Heritage List for England. Their report is available. (1) 'History The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 for the General Post Office, on the occasion of King George V's Silver Jubilee. The K6 was a development from his earlier highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, of neoclassical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost-effective to mass produce. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important of modern British architects; his many celebrated commissions include the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool and Battersea Power Station. The K2 and K6 telephone kiosks can be said to represent a very thoughtful adaptation of architectural tradition to contemporary technological requirements. Well over 70,000 K6s were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with a new kiosk type. Many still remain, however, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes. The K6 in Simmondley is indicated on the 1938-1951 Ordnance Survey and does not appear to have replaced an earlier call box. Details The K6 is a standardised design made of cast-iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door with margin lights. There are crowns situated on the top panels, being applied not perforated. There are rectangular white display signs, reading TELEPHONE beneath the shallow-curved roof. The kiosk retains telephone equipment in working order, a replacement of the original. The K6 is situated at the north-eastern corner of the triangular green at the centre of Simmondley. Selected Sources Other Simmondley Conservation Area Character Appraisal - January 2014.' (1)