Summary
K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Reasons for Designation
The K6 telephone kiosk to the north of the former Corn Hall, Swaffham, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as an iconic example of industrial design, showing Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s adaptation of neoclassical forms for a modern technological function.
Historic interest:
* the K6 telephone kiosk was designed to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935 by the eminent architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, further developing his successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924.
Group value:
* for its strong visual relationship with several Grade II-listed buildings within its immediate vicinity, including the former Corn Hall to the south and Swaffham War Memorial to the west.
History
Swaffham’s significance in the medieval period stemmed from its position on the crossroads of the main routes from London, Norwich and King’s Lynn. The first written record of a market in the town, which was established on a triangular-shaped area formed by the convergence of the aforementioned roads, was in 1215 when King John issued a royal writ to the Sherriff of Norfolk to abolish it should it ‘damage the market in Dunham’. It was never abolished and expanded rapidly. The Market Place was probably open to the church on its east side, but later C17 development closed this off, while the development of The Shambles in the middle in the late C18/early C19, further reduced the size of the open space. From the mid-C18, for a period of just over a hundred years, Swaffham became one of the most populous parishes in Norfolk and one of the most fashionable centres in the county, attracting many leading West Norfolk Families. A racecourse had been established by 1628, the Assembly Rooms were constructed in 1776-1778, subsequently extended and modernised in 1817, and George Walpole, the Third Earl of Orford (1730-1791), founded a coursing club in 1786. During this period of prosperity, much rebuilding took place around the Market Place and the overall character of the town is primarily of mid-late Georgian in date, although there is evidence for C16-C17 work behind many façades. Further rebuilding also took place after ‘The Great Fire of Swaffham’, which probably started in the vicinity of the Blue Boar Inn (now the White Hart) on the afternoon of 14 November 1775, when it was set ablaze by a spark from a nearby blacksmith’s workshop. Fire soon engulfed the densely packed houses and workshops behind the inn and along London Road, with 22 buildings being completely destroyed and a further two badly damaged. The town continued to expand in the C19 when its population increased from 2,200 in 1800 to 3,350 in 1845. It also became an important local administrative centre during this period and acquired several notable buildings, including a National School (1838), Shire Hall (1839) and Corn Hall (1858).
The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. It 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 British architects of the C20; his many celebrated buildings include the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool (Grade I-listed) and Battersea Power Station (Grade II*-listed). 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 K6 kiosks were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with a new kiosk type, but many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain’s streetscapes.
The K6 standing to the north of the former Corn Hall (Grade II-listed) has been decommissioned and its internal equipment removed. It was subsequently adopted by Swaffham Town Council and is currently (2024) used as a community book exchange for which bookshelves have been installed.
Details
K6 telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
MATERIALS: a cast-iron frame with a timber door.
DESCRIPTION: the telephone kiosk is a standardised K6 design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in the door and sides. There are rectangular white display signs reading ‘TELEPHONE’ and applied crowns beneath the shallow-curved roof. The timber door retains its original hinge and handle. The internal equipment has been removed and bookshelves installed.
