Frequently Asked Questions

This is not something that we can arrange. However, there are a number of companies who will be able help. To purchase a restored kiosk you may like to contact X2Connect or Unicorn Kiosks. Lightweight, reproduction kiosks are also available, from The Phoneybox Company.

Kiosks can only be adopted by recognised local authorities, parish, community or town councils, or registered charity in England, Scotland and Wales. Terms and conditions, set out by British Telecom, also apply. For more information please visit the British Telecom Adopt a Kiosk website.

This is not something that we can provide.

Figures from British Telecom record the following installations over time:

• 1925: 1,000 (K1 only)
• 1930: 8,000 (includes K2 and K3)
• 1935: 19,000 (includes K6)
• 1940: 35,000
• 1950: 44,000
• 1960: 65,000
• 1970: 70,000 (includes K8)
• 1980: 73,000

These totals do not represents all kiosks; kiosks will have been installed at new locations but some kiosks will have replaced pre-existing kiosks, e.g. a K6 kiosk replacing a rural K1 kiosk.

Approximate figures indicate the following numbers of kiosks:

• K1: 6,300
• K2: 1,700
• K3: 12,000
• K4: 50
• K5: none (a small number of sample kiosks were manufactured)
• K6: 60,000
• K7: 12 (prototypes only)
• K8: 11,000

The K2, K3 and K6 were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. He was born on 9 November 1880 and came from a pre-eminent family of architects. His father was George Gilbert Scott Junior and his grandfather Sir George Gilbert Scott Senior. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott produced iconic designs in Britain including those for Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station. His design for Liverpool Cathedral was submitted in 1903, when he was just twenty-two years old. Knighted by King George V on 22 July 1924, he died on 8 February 1960.

Red was a highly visible colour. The General Post Office's pillar boxes were already painted red so the choice of colour was an obvious decision. Originally Scott had intended his kiosks to be painted silver, with a "greeny-blue" interior; but for the internal workings of the Post Office Britain might never have had a Red Telephone Box.

The K2 telephone kiosk is approximately 9 ft/274 cm high, 3ft 4 in/100 cm wide and weighs approximately 1,250 kg. The K6 and K8 telephone kiosks are both approximately 8 ft/244 cm high and 3 ft/91 cm wide and weigh approximately 750 kg and 600 kg respectively.

The first K2 telephone kiosks were installed in Kensington and Holborn in central London.

On the northern side of Piccadilly in London, between Sackville Street and Old Bond Street stands Burlington House, home to the Royal Academy of Arts. Just inside the porte-cochere entrance stands Sir Giles Gilbert-Scott's original, wooden, prototype K2 kiosk. On the opposite side of the porte-cochere is a production-version of a K2.

Yes. You can view these kiosks in person at the National Telephone Kiosk Collection. The collection forms part of the Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Bromgsrove, Worcestershire (England). It comprises examples of all GPO kiosks as well as a collection of kiosks from other independent telephone companies, the Automobile Association (AA) and the Royal Automobile Club (RAC). A visit to this museum is highly recommended.

Yes, prior and subsequent to the General Post Office monopoly, examples of kiosks were installed in many parts of the country. For example, following privatisation rival companies such as Mercury Communications established new kiosk networks. General Post Office-designed kiosks such as the K6 and K8 were used by other telecoms and utility companies. Hull Corporation installed a number of white crown-less K6 kiosks and London Underground installed the K8 kiosk at a number of stations, although not for public use.

According to BT 5,800 red kiosks and around 800 of the modern "KX" kiosks have been adopted. Without these adoption schemes many of these kiosks will habe been removed and lost from local communities. British Telecom's website states that around 4,000 kiosks are still available for adoption. If these are not adopted it is likely that many of these, if not listed by a heritage body, will be decommissioned and removed.

The website www.cabbieblog.com has a list of the surviving thirteen cabmen's shelters.

The website PoliceBoxes.co.uk has a map showing the location of known police boxes.