Telephone box libraries - a gazetteer (NEW PAGE)


Village library & pump at Gawcott in Buckinghamshire
Copyright Philip Jeffrey and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence







A new kind of independent library has appeared over the past few years - the telephone box "library" (aka the "book exchange" or the "book swap"). Libraries like this are being created by local communities in otherwise obsolete telephone boxes (usually of the classic "K6" variety - see above). 

Though the AIL's original purpose was to preserve, develop and give access to historic independent libraries, it now also seeks to encourage and support the creation and delivery of new independent libraries. It was appropriate then for us to bring the whereabouts of these new libraries to wider public attention by dedicating this page to as full a listing of examples of the telephone box library phenomenon as possible and to indicate other sources of information about each of the libraries listed.

Perhaps your community has an old telephone box which could be converted into a library!

Telephone box libraries are listed under both their county and their own place name. To enable this listing of the libraries already created to be both up-to-date and comprehensive, the contribution of further examples of telephone box libraries and of other links as well as an indication of dead links and of any libraries no longer operating would be very much appreciated. It would also be useful to have any contact details for those running telephone box libraries. Please contact us at: independent.libraries@gmail.com.

Previous internet listings of telephone box libraries have been published and these have been used as a starting point. The most comprehensive listing and study of the telephone box library in the UK to date has been undertaken by Chris Gilmour and his one hundred libraries (in b below) are given with their appropriate number after an additional G prefix in both the county-by-county gazetteer and the alphabetical index of location. Cross-refer to Chris's list and you will find additional information including a library's earliest known date and the distance from a telephone box library to its nearest public library.

Chris Gilmour's list of phone box libraries (1)
b Chris Gilmour's list of phone box libraries (2)
c Lesley's Google map of telephone box libraries
d Illandancient's Google map of phone box libraries



1

UK county-by-county gazetteer (last updated 2013-11-08):

Bedfordshire:
Berkshire:
Buckinghamshire:
Cambridgeshire: 

Cheshire  (chesterchronicle) :
Cornwall: 
County Durham:
Derbyshire: 
Devon: 
  • Thurlestone (bbc) 
Dorset:
East Lothian:

Essex: 
  • Tockington G091

Hampshire: 

  • Ellisfield
  • Redenham

Herefordshire: 

Hertfordshire: 

Kent:  
Leicestershire: 
  • Sibson
Lincolnshire: 
  • Goxhill (bbc) G049
  • Ingham G087
Norfolk: 
  • Great Snoring (edp24) 
Northamptonshire:
  • Rushton G093 
Nottinghamshire: 
  • Lambley
Oxfordshire:
  • Kingston Winslow
Pembrokeshire: 
Perth & Kinross: 
Shropshire: 
Somerset:
  • Burrow Bridge
  • Rode [added 2013-11-08]
  • Saltford
  • Shipham
  • Ubley
  • Wiveliscombe
Suffolk:
  • East Bergholt
  • Nayland
  • Thurston
  • Ufford (bbc) 
Surrey: 
Sussex: 
Torfaen: 
Vale of Glamorgan: 
Warwickshire: 
Wiltshire: 
  • East Dean G055
  • Milbourne
Worcestershire: 
Wrexham: 
Yorkshire, East Riding: 
Yorkshire, North: 
Yorkshire, South: 
Yorkshire, West: 

2

UK Alphabetical by place


Alne Yorkshire, North
Apethorpe Cambridgeshire G004
Arkesden Essex G024
Ashampstead Berkshire
Ashby-cum-Fenby Lincolnshire
Athelstaneford East Lothian
Barton Stacey Hampshire G066
Bawdeswell Norfolk
Beer Devon G054
Belbroughton Worcestershire G029
Blagdon Somerset G014
Bodsham Kent G068
Booth Yorkshire, West
Box Gloucestershire G021
Boxworth Cambridgeshire G052
Brattleby Lincolnshire G089
Brinkworth Wiltshire G030

Brynberian Pembrokeshire G027

Bucklebury Berkshire G078
Burnett Somerset G098
Burrough Green Suffolk
Burrow Bridge Somerset
Burrowbridge Suffolk
Burton Fleming Yorkshire, East Riding G036
Burton Overy Leicestershire G083
Candover Valley Hampshire
Cargreen Cornwall G032
Carlingcott Somerset G097
Caythorpe Nottinghamshire G041
Charlton Musgrove Somerset G099
Chedworth Gloucestershire G028
Clent Worcestershire
Coed-y-Paen Torfaen G022
Colton Yorkshire, North G062
Coreley Shropshire
Cotebrook Cheshire G013
Cotesbach Leicestershire G061
Cotleigh Devon G096
Coton Cambridgeshire G063
Cowden Kent G057
Cowlinge Suffolk G019
Coxley Somerset G012
Deppers Bridge Warwickshire G082
Dinder Somerset G015
East Bergholt Suffolk
East Bridgford Nottinghamshire G081
East Dean Wiltshire G055
East Horrington Somerset G035
East Langdon Kent
Eastleigh Devon
Ellisfield Hampshire
Emery Down Hampshire G045
Fairwarp Sussex
Feering Essex G070
Felstead Essex [two telephone box libraries]
Feock Cornwall G009
Flitton Bedfordshire G086
Galleywood Essex
Gawcott Buckinghamshire
Goxhill Lincolnshire G049
Great Comberton Worcestershire G058
Great Hinton Wiltshire G071
Great Livermere Suffolk G053
Great Sampford Essex G079
Great Snoring Norfolk
Guilden Morden Cambridgeshire G059
Halmore Gloucestershire G047
Hatton Cheshire G011
Haybridge Somerset G023
Hemingford Abbots Cambridgeshire G065
Hemingford Grey Cambridgeshire
Henham Essex G025
High Hutton Yorkshire, North G080
Horsley Surrey G006
Hutton Magna County Durham G043
Ingham Lincolnshire G087
Kenn Devon
Kenwyn Cornwall G076
Kimpton Hertfordshire
Kingston Winslow Oxfordshire
Kington Magna Dorset
Kinnesswood Perth & Kinross G031
Lach Dennis Cheshire G064
Lambley Nottinghamshire
Lea Wiltshire G090
Limpley Stoke Wiltshire G048
Little Bentley Essex G067
Little Eaton Derbyshire G039
Little Hadham Hertfordshire G037
Little Hale Lincolnshire
Little Rissington Gloucestershire G038
Little Shelford Cambridgeshire G007
Llangrove Herefordshire G088
Long Wittenham Oxfordshire G084
Longstock Hampshire G072
Lowertown Cornwall
Marsden Wiltshire
Marston Montgomery Derbyshire G044
Marton-cum-Grafton Yorkshire, North G003
Michaelston-le-Pit Vale of Glamorgan
Milbourne Wiltshire
Minstead Hampshire
Moulton Northamptonshire G094
Nayland Suffolk
Netherthorpe Derbyshire G077
North Cadbury Somerset
Northampton Northamptonshire
Oake Somerset G085
Parwich Derbyshire
Paxford Gloucestershire
Pen-y-cae Wrexham G050
Pitsford Northamptonshire
Point Cornwall G005
Polsham Somerset G026
Preston St Mary Suffolk G056
Redenham Hampshire
Rode Somerset
Rushton Northamptonshire G093
Ryme Intrinseca Dorset G075
St Cross South Elmham Suffolk G051
St Margaret South Elmham Suffolk G002
Saltford Somerset
Sheepscombe Gloucestershire
Sheepwash Devon G060
Shipham Somerset
Shirley Derbyshire G018
Sibson Leicestershire
South Kilworth Leicestershire G095
Stanton Wick Somerset G034
Staplehay Somerset G010
Stratton-on-the-Fosse Somerset
Thorganby Yorkshire, North G033
Thornhaugh Cambridgeshire G046
Thorpe Salvin Yorkshire, South G040
Thurlestone Devon
Thurston Suffolk
Thruxton Hampshire G008
Timsbury Somerset G017
Tisbury Wiltshire G073
Tockington Gloucestershire G091
Todwick Yorkshire, South
Tollerton Nottinghamshire G016
Trudoxhill Somerset G092
Ubley Somerset
Ufford Suffolk
Upper Clatford Hampshire G100
West Horrington Somerset G035
West Monkton Somerset G074
Westbury-sub-Mendip Somerset G001
Wighill Yorkshire, North
Wiveliscombe Somerset
Wix Essex G069
Woodborough Nottinghamshire G020
Wood Ditton Cambridgeshire G042
Yatton Somerset 



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