Few things are more inextricably tied with traditional British culture than the red telephone box.
Throughout the twentieth century, they were synonymous with pathways across the country, but the emergence of mobile phones eventually led to their downfall beginning in the 1980s.
A local restoration firm is taking action after decades of abandonment, with many boxes left in a decrepit state, in Merstham, Surrey, to create up the nation’s largest ‘telephone box graveyard.’
Unicorn Restorations carefully restores these famous boxes to their former beauty after a time of corrosion.
At the facility just outside Redhill, workers spend up to 30 hours stripping each old kiosk, repainting it in the same hues of red specified by the General Post Office, and installing new glass to complete the design.
They sell for a range of prices after being revitalized, ranging from little under £4,000 to as much as £20,000, with earlier designs commanding a greater premium.
These are the three famous red telephone kiosk models: the K2, the K6, and the K8.
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott created the K6 to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V’s coronation in 1935, and it is well known as THE red telephone box. Because 60,000 of them were put across the United Kingdom, the K6 has come to represent what many consider to be the conventional red phone box.
The iconic red telephone box is a beloved emblem of British culture.
However, they have unavoidably left many of our local streets, with more departing all the time. So, where do they all end up?
The abandoned kiosks, which had been beaten, rusted, and flaky, have found new life courtesy to Unicorn Restorations, which owns the country’s largest phone box graveyard.
And it’s located right here in Surrey.
Rows and rows of dilapidated red telephone boxes lie side by side at the ‘graveyard’ near Merstham, Redhill, creating a profoundly sorrowful scene.
But, be assured, these classic British icons, such as fish and chips or the Queen, have not been consigned to die or disintegrate, but have been restored to its former splendour.
Thanks to Surrey’s professional restorers, several of the refurbished boxes have been put in well-known locations such as the Olympic Park and Trafalgar Square.
Scroll down to see interesting photographs of the restorers’ work as they strive to revitalize a lost British masterpiece.
Staff members spend up to 30 hours removing existing kiosks, repainting them in the same colors of red specified by the General Post Office, and installing new glass to complete the design (Image: Unicorn Restorations)
The K2 is considered the original phone box, having been built in 1926, whereas the K8 was released in 1968 and was a dramatic alteration to reflect the atmosphere of the Sixties in a more futuristic appearance; this was the final of the red kiosks to be made, and very few are still in use.
The repair professionals may also rebuild the inside of these kiosks and personalize the dial center to carry your current number but with the old exchange or with a memorable number from the past.
According to their website, they provided the landmarks seen throughout the United Kingdom and the center of London, such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, The Tower of London, and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
They also restored several renowned kiosks for BT, The Corporation of London, and English Heritage.
Their art has also been on the big screen, having supplied period pieces for films and television shows such as Harry Potter, Paddington, and the John Lewis Christmas advertisements.
The need for these markers may have dwindled in the contemporary period, but it’s maybe encouraging to know that they’re still being used.
Photographer Nicolas Ritter told the Daily Mail in 2016 that he first visited the yard in 2012, when he was just starting out as an assistant.
“Being at the telephone graveyard was a terrific experience for me,” he remarked. Because phone boxes are such a distinctive sign of British society, it seemed like a voyage back in time.”
These readily noticed, brilliantly colored boxes were previously cherished by Brits; by the 1980s, there were over 73,000 sprinkled around.
Unfortunately, those numbers began to decline soon after, with just 21,000 still standing today.
However, according to Unicorn Restorations, it is apparent that the British people still have a passion for the old-fashioned phone box – if perhaps not for their original, intended use.