Somerton TARDIS facts for kids
The Somerton TARDIS is a special old police box located on Acacia Avenue in the Somerton area of Newport, South Wales. It sits next to Chepstow Road. This particular police box is very important because it's the only one left out of four that used to be in Newport. It's even protected as a Grade II listed building, which means it's a historic landmark.
Police boxes were once common across the UK. They were like small offices where police officers could make phone calls. This was before most people had mobile phones or even phones at home. The Somerton police box has a lamp on top that would flash. This flashing light told an officer that someone was trying to call them.
What is a Police Box?
The very first police boxes in the UK appeared in 1888. But the famous blue box shape, which looks like the TARDIS from Doctor Who, first showed up in 1929. By 1969, police forces in the UK stopped using these boxes. This was because new technology like mobile radios and public phones made them less needed.
Its Famous Name
The Somerton police box became well-known in Newport as the "TARDIS." This name comes from the popular TV show Doctor Who. In the show, the Doctor's time machine, called the TARDIS, looks exactly like a police box. This is because its special "chameleon circuit," which lets it change its shape, got stuck!
During the 1980s, people living nearby added a fun touch to the blue police box. They painted a long, multi-coloured scarf onto it. This was a nod to the scarf worn by the Fourth Doctor, played by actor Tom Baker. He was the Doctor from 1974 to 1981.
Saving a Landmark
Early police boxes were often made of wood. However, the Somerton box was built from concrete. Over many years, the concrete started to break down. This problem is sometimes called "concrete cancer."
Because the Somerton TARDIS is such an important local landmark, people wanted to save it. In January 2010, a group called Cadw gave a grant of £10,500. This money was used to help fix and restore the police box. Thanks to these efforts, this unique piece of history continues to stand in Newport today.
