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   As set out in the English Heritage Selection Guide (2007) for Transport Buildings to merit designation, signal boxes should either represent a relatively early phase of architectural design or technological development, or should demonstrate some significant later technological novelty and innovation, or new architectural design.

One of the operators to adopt the architecture of the Modern Movement was the Southern Railway. Many of its stations and signal boxes were built in this style; Surbiton being the earliest type 13 signal box, erected in 1936. These signal boxes were adopted widely by the Southern Railway (SR^‡(resolve)), but odd examples were also used on the Great Eastern and later by the London & North Eastern Railway, and the design continued to be employed into the 1950s, albeit with power rather than mechanical frames. Post-war examples of this design survive at Streatham, South Croydon, Balham and Purley. There are currently two type-13 signal boxes on the SR that are listed: Woking in Surrey (1937, Grade II), and Horsham, West Sussex (circa 1938, Grade II). English Heritage has undertaken a Thematic List Review of Railway Structures looking at a wide variety of structures in a national context. As part of this assessment, Woking was identified the best surviving example of a type-13 box. Horsham was also considered to be a good example which had additional interest for its historic association and group value with a listed railway station. The Railway Review does not recommend any further type-13 signal boxes for listing.

The signal box at Templecombe Railway Station is understood to be the most westerly example of this type of box and its architecture reflects the characteristic features of the International Modern style including the flat concrete roof, overhanging eaves, and moulded corners. However, it has crucially lost its operating room windows. Much of the architectural interest of signal boxes lies in their fenestration, and the loss of the original timber glazing detracts significantly from the interest of the box. That said the operating floor windows at both Horsham and Woking appear to have also been replaced, and it must be acknowledeged that changes such as this are reversible.

During the mid-20th century the interior of type 13 boxes was described as being spacious and modern. In 1983, when Templecombe Station was re-opened to passenger traffic, the signal box was sub-divided to provide a waiting area and a ticket office. Although a new waiting room has since been installed on the platform, the booking office arrangements continue. Intactness is a very important consideration when assessing signal boxes for listing, and the changes that have taken place at Templecombe have significantly compromised the layout of the operating floor. In addition the original lever-frame has been reduced in length from 60 to 16 (including four spare) levers. Most of the station structures at Templecombe have been demolished, only the signal box, former mainline platforms and the goods shed (which is now in commercial use) remain from the pre-1967 period, reducing the signal box¿s group value and claims to special interest.

In summary, Templecombe signal box is not recommended for listing. Whilst it is a striking example of a signal box in the International Modern style, it is not of sufficiently early date to be notable as a mechanical signal box, and does not represent an important phase in the development of signal boxes and signalling technology. Its internal layout has been altered and the signalling equipment has been much reduced and is not sufficiently rare or intact to qualify in its own right for designation.