A disused iconic red phone box in a village is being transformed into 'Kent's smallest museum'.

The Rolvenden Layne Sound Museum near Tenterden, which opens next month, will be on the corner of Maytham Road and Winser Road, opposite the village green.

Its first exhibition, named 'I Remember’, will present the voices of the oldest generation of villagers, describing village life in the 1930s and 40s.

The idea came to resident Rob Pursey during lockdown when he saw other places convert phone boxes for other purposes such as community libraries and defibrillator hubs.

He wanted to come up with something similar locally while keeping the structure's original purpose in mind.

The 57-year-old said: "It was starting to be filled with rubbish and become a bit of an eyesore so I wanted to find a way to use it for its first intention which was for communication and a place where voices are heard.

"The first exhibition is based on a book called 'Rolvenden Recollections' by Jackie King. She had recordings of some of the people she spoke to when she wrote it.

"Quite a few of the contributors have passed on but I thought it would be amazing for people to hear those voices again because their accounts are vivid and moving."

There are a total of 12 recordings, each about a minute long, from villagers narrating tales that took place only yards from the phone box itself.

The structure's transformation, which started in November, has been made possible thanks to blacksmiths, songwriters, painters, historians, artists and archivists.

On the back wall, where the phone apparatus used to be, there will be a new box that contains an MP3 player.

Visitors will be able to hear the files on it by turning a cranking handle to generate power.

Once open, it's also thought it will be the UK’s first permanent Sound Museum.

While the space itself is tiny, Mr Pursey, who has lived in the hamlet for nine years, says there is an infinite number of installations it can host, celebrating other voices, sound artists and poets.

They will be changed every few months but the sounds will be stored on the museum's website which will act as a permanent archive.

An exhibition which is on the cards for the future is one talking about 'Stoolball' – a traditional game that pre-dates cricket that children still play on the village green today.

Entry will be free of charge and the museum will officially launch on March 19 at 11am.

The venture has been made possible thanks to funding from Ashford Borough Council, Rolvenden Parish Council, Kent County Council and Persimmon Homes, and the exhibitions curated by Mr Pursey's company Skep Arts.

Through Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme, the house builder has donated £500 to the project as well as plans to restore a second phone box, also in Rolvenden Layne.

The other box is to host an art installation of a sculpture depicting the lost art of conversation.