Artefacts on display

B1 standard building & Unit Automatic Exchange (1950s) : off the peg

This building was an actual working exchange that was moved lock, stock and barrel from its working location in Essex to the Avoncroft Museum for preservation.

It's a typical example of the type of exchange in use at the time. Buildings were constructed virtually off the peg. They came in different sizes and materials, wood, brick or stone, chosen to fit the location and budget. This B1 wooden construction replaced a smaller exchange, as demand increased in the area.

The Unit Automatic Exchange was created in a similar way. It came in different sizes according to the number of telephone users to be served - 200, 400, 600 etc. This example, the UAX 13, could have served a maximum of 800 connections.

 Police call pillars : pillars of society

The telegraph and telephone meant that people could get in touch quickly, which was especially useful in an emergency.

The emergency services started to put telegraph alarm points and later special telephone boxes on the streets in urban centres, which gave both policemen and the general public a  direct line to the police station.

The PA1 (left) was the standard police telephone pillar available in the 1930s which was later upgraded to the PA3 (right).

Avoncroft also has examples of larger police and roadside emergency boxes.

Different types of kiosk : collectible kiosks

Avoncroft has more types of British telephone boxes than anywhere else in the world. All the major models are on display, as are examples of most of the less well known designs.

For example, there is a K4. Nicknamed the 'Vermillion Giant', this combined the classic K2 kiosk with stamp machines and letter box to form a '24-hour post office'. It was not a success - the thing was too big to fit on most sites and the stamps became damp. Only 50 were ever made.

Rarer still is the K5 'flat pack' kiosk of 1934 - a transportable knock down design made in steel faced plywood for use at fairs and exhibitions, It's thought some were made - but if any survived, they're very well hidden. The one at Avoncroft is a modern reproduction, built precisely in accordance with the original drawings.

The K7 - Neville Conder's innovative design of the early 1960s - is also a spotter's delight. Just six prototypes were produced in aluminium, one of which lives on at Avoncroft.

Visitors can make and receive calls in most of our boxes. It's not just the kiosks that have been preseved, but the interiors too. This is very much a working museum.