Acocks Green Telephone Exchange is located in Station Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 6DN. This ATE also serves parts of Sheldon. Acocks Green exchange went automatic on 21/01/33. The first exchange opened in 1899 probably at 1 Warwick Road, by 1903 it had 33 subscribers.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-700, 0121-706, 0121-707, 0121-708, 0121-764, 0121-765.

ID: CMACO.

Aston Cross Telephone Exchange is located in Corporation Street, Birmingham B4 7DP. This exchange covers Aston and northern parts of the city centre.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-333, 0121-359 and 0121-380.

ID: CMASTX

Ashfield Telephone Exchange is located in Fox Hollies Road, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield B76 2RJ.  Ashfield ATE serves subscribers in Walmley and Minworth and also some parts of Pype Hayes, Erdington. Ashfield was enabled for ADSL on 27 August 2003.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-313 and 0121-351.

ID: CMASHF.

Beacon Telephone Exchange is located in Whitecrest, Great Barr, Birmingham B43 6EE. Beacon ATE serves parts of Pheasey, Great Barr and Kingstanding. Beacon was converted to a System X digital exchange at 6.30 am on Tuesday 16th March 1993.

Prior to becoming an exchange the building was a Telephone Repeater Station which had very thick walls and bomb proof doors, designed to withstand a nuclear attack during the cold war era.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-325, 0121-360 and 0121-366.

ID: CMBEAC.

This exchange is scheduled to cease operation in April 2028 and close in September 2028.

Bearwood Telephone Exchange is located in Sandon Road, Bearwood, Warley B66 4AN. This exchange also serves parts of Smethwick and Edgbaston. Bearwood Telephone Exchange was built in 1937.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-420, 0121-429, 0121-434.

ID: CMBEAR

Birchfield Telephone Exchange is located in Willmore Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham B20 3JH. This exchange covers Birchfield, Hamstead and Perry Barr. This Automatic exchange first commenced operation at 2.00 pm on 07/03/31 from the Northern exchange building. Birchfield then moved to Willmore Road in June 1933.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-331, 0121-332, 0121-344 and 0121-356.

ID: CMBIR

Blackheath Telephone Exchange is located in Oldbury Road, Rowley Regis, Warley B65 0NP.  Blackheath ATE also serves Rowley Regis. Blackheath was converted to automatic operation on 15/10/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-559 and 0121-561.

ID: CMBLAC.

Broadwell Telephone Exchange is located in Flash Road, Oldbury, Warley B69 4AE.  Broadwell ATE also serves Oldbury. Broadwell was previously known as Oldbury, but was changed because code ‘O’ was used to call the Operator so no exchange code could begin with ‘O’. Broadwell was converted to automatic operation on 15/10/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-511, 0121-541, 0121-543, 0121-544, 0121-552.

ID: CMBRO.

Calthorpe Telephone Exchange is located on the A441, Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7NY. It serves Calthorpe and Balsall Heath.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-440 and 0121-446.

ID: CMCAL.

Castle Bromwich Telephone Exchange is located in Chester Road, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham B36 9DS. Castle Bromwich also serves Bromford Bridge, Castle Vale, Hodge Hill, Shard End and Water Orton. Castle Bromwich exchange was converted to automatic operation on 12/10/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-730, 0121-747, 0121-748, 0121-749 and 0121-776.

ID: CMCAS.

Central was the first Birmingham exchange to be opened in 1880 by the Midland Telephone company in a room in Exchange Chambers at the corner of New Street and Stephenson Place. By 1882 the company had attracted it’s first 100 customers and had moved into a new home in the attic of a music shop at the corner of Bennetts Hill and Colmore Row  The exchange was further relocated in 1897 to 19 Newhall Street, a building originally owned by the National Telephone Company (NTC) but was taken over by the GPO in 1912. Up until 1956 Central was known as Colmore.

The present day Central telephone exchange is located at Telephone House, Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 1JX since 1936. This exchange serves the northern area of Birmingham City Centre.  Central was converted to automatic operation on 19/03/1932 and has had  STD dialling since July 1961.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-212, 0121-214, 0121-230, 0121-232, 0121-233, 0121-234, 0121-235, 0121-236, 0121-237 and 0121-238.

ID: CMCEN.

Chelmsley Wood Telephone Exchange is located in Waugh Close, Chelmsley Wood. Chelmsley Wood B37 5TH also serves Kitts Green, Marston Green and Tile Cross. This exchange opened at 8.30am on 18/08/73 using TXK3 equipment. Marston Green was previously served by the MARston Green exchange.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-770, 0121-779 and 0121-788.

ID: CMCHEL.

Druids Heath Telephone Exchange is located in Idmiston Croft, Maypole, Birmingham B14 5NJ.   In 1953 the name of this exchange was changed from Warstock to MAYpole.

This exchange also serves Maypole & Warstock.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-430, 0121-436, and 0121-474.

ID: CMDRU.

This picture from 1911 is of the East Telephone exchange which is located in Alfred Street, Aston and serves parts of Aston & Erdington, Nechells, Saltley, Ward End, Washwood Heath and Witton. Being one of the earlier Birmingham exchanges, the original part of this building dates back to the origins of the National Telephone Co., the building has since been substantially extended.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-322, 0121-326, 0121-327 and 0121-328.

ID: CMEAS. Photo courtesy of BT Archives.

This more picture recent shows the East Telephone exchange, located in Alfred Street, Aston, Birmingham B6 7NR and serves parts of Aston & Erdington, Nechells, Saltley, Ward End, Washwood Heath and Witton. Being one of the earlier Birmingham exchanges, the original part of this building dates back to the origins of the National Telephone Co., the building has since been substantially extended.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-322, 0121-326, 0121-327 and 0121-328.

ID: CMEAS.

Edgbaston Telephone Exchange is located in Ladywood Road, Ladywood, Birmingham B16 8SZ.  Edgbaston ATE also serves Ladywood. The first Edgbaston exchange opened at Wyndham Road around 1910.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-452, 0121-454, 0121-455 and 0121-456.

ID: CMEDG.

A photograph of the former Edgbaston Telephone Exchange built by the National Telephone Company which opened in 1910.

Photo courtesy of BT Archives.

Elmdon Telephone Exchange is located in Elmdon Trading Estate,  Bickenhill Lane, Elmdon, Birmingham B37 7HE. This exchange opened on 08/09/75.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-767, 0121-780, 0121-781, 0121-782 and 0121-787.

ID: CMELMD.

Erdington Telephone Exchange is located in Sutton New Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6QR. Erdington ATE also serves some parts of Boldmere, Gravelly Hill, Kingstanding, New Oscott and Wylde Green. The photo shows the modern building at the rear, but the oldest part of the building dates back to 1934. The first Erdington exchange opened in 1899 at 5 Willow Villas in Mason Road, by 1903 it had 41 subscribers. Erdington ATE codes 350 and 373 changed over from 2000 type Strowger to TXE4 on the morning of Friday 10^th December 1982 at 07:00 hours.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-306, 0121-350, 0121-373, 0121-377, 0121-382, 0121-384 & 0121-386.

ID: CMERD.

The former original Erdington Telephone Exchange is located in Sutton New Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6QR. Erdington ATE also served some parts of Boldmere, Gravelly Hill, Kingstanding, New Oscott and Wylde Green.

The oldest part of the building dates back to 1934.

The first Erdington exchange opened in 1899 at 5 Willow Villas in Mason Road, by 1903 it had 41 subscribers. Erdington ATE codes 350 and 373 changed over from 2000 type Strowger to TXE4 on the morning of Friday 10^th December 1982 at 07:00 hours.

ID: CMERD.

Four Oaks Telephone exchange is located at 238A Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield B74 2UD, about half a mile down the Lichfield Road from the former exchange. It opened at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday 14th November 1964.  Four Oaks ATE changed from 4000 type Strowger to TXE4 on May 20^th 1982 sometime before 08:30 BST.

The Four Oaks ATE serves subscribers in the Bassetts Pole, Canwell, Four Oaks, Ley Hill, Little Sutton, Mere Green, Middleton, Roughley and Shenstone Wood End areas of Sutton Coldfield.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-308 and 0121-323.

ID: CMFOU.

Four Oaks Exchange in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It started life in 1911 being named Mere Green and was a small magneto exchange with the equipment hung on the wall of a cottage in Mere Green, which is part of Four Oaks. It was renamed Four Oaks the following year but was then closed in 1921 and it’s subscribers were transferred to the Sutton Coldfield exchange. In 1932 the Four Oaks exchange opened in a new building (pictured above)  at 340 Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield B74 4BH with six operators and 450 lines. By 1964 the exchange had grown by eight times that size and had the distinction of being Birmingham’s last remaining manual switchboard. This building is now used as a children’s nursery.

Great Barr Area Telephone Exchange is located in Birmingham Road, Great Barr, Birmingham B43 6NR. Great Barr ATE also serves parts of Hamstead, Perry Barr and South Walsall. This exchange was converted from strowger to digital operation in July 1992.

See this page to view pictures of the change-over.

The first Great Barr exchange opened around 1906 at 1 Warwick Cottages, Newton Road.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-357 and 0121-358.

ID: CMGREB.

Halesowen Telephone Exchange is located in Whitehall Road, Halesowen B63 3JS. The exchange serves Halesowen and a small part of Woodgate Valley. The first Halesowen exchange opened in 1899 at 4 Villa, The Drive, Birmingham Road. By 1903 it had 24 subscribers. Halesowen was converted to automatic operation on 19/11/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-501, 0121-503, 0121-504, 0121-550 and 0121-585.

ID: CMHALE.

Harborne Telephone Exchange is located in War Lane, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9RJ. This exchange serves Harborne, California and part of Selly Oak. This exchange opened as an Automatic exchange at 2.00 pm on 07/03/31 with 684 subscribers. It took subscribers that had previously been served by Edgbaston and Selly Oak.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-426, 0121-427 and 0121-428.

ID: CMHARBO.

Highbury Telephone Exchange is located in Howard Road East, Kings Heath, Birmingham B13 0RY.  The exchange serves Kings Heath and some surrounding areas.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-441, 0121-443 and 0121-444.

ID: CMHIGH.

Hillside Telephone Exchange is located in Station Approach, Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8PA and was built in the 1980’s.  This exchange serves Alvechurch and Barnt Green.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-445 and 0121-447.

ID: CMHIL.

Hillside Telephone Exchange was located at 23 Hewell Road, Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8NG.  The old exchange (pictured above) was built in 1936.  The building was replaced in the 1980’s by a new construction a short distance away. The premises are now used as a children’s nursery. The original exchange for Barnt Green opened in November 1899 and by 1903 it had 64 subscribers.

Hillside Telephone Exchange was located at 23 Hewell Road, Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8NG.  The old exchange (pictured above) was built in 1936.  The building was replaced in the 1980’s by a new construction a short distance away. The premises are now used as a children’s nursery. The original exchange for Barnt Green opened in November 1899 and by 1903 it had 64 subscribers.

Kings Norton Telephone Exchange is located in Northfield Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 1JH.  This ATE serves Cotteridge and Kings Norton. The first exchange for this area opened in 1899 probably at Ashleigh, Station Road. By 1903 it had 51 subscribers.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-433, 0121-451, 0121-458, 0121-459, 0121-486.

ID: CMKING.

Midland Telephone Exchange is located on the corner of Station Street and Hill Street, Birmingham B5 4AL. This exchange serves the centre part of Birmingham City Centre. The present exchange  opened on 29/06/35. The first Midland exchange at 60 Hill Street opened on 14/11/1908, the building was demolished in 1972.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-600, 0121-616, 0121-631, 0121-643, 0121-644, 0121-654, 0121-665 and 0121-666.

ID: CMMLD. Photo taken in 2011 courtesy of Stephen Richards.

This exchange is scheduled to cease operation in April 2030 and close in September 2030.

James Bridge Telephone Exchange is located in Joynson Street, Wednesbury WS10 9HZ and serves Darlaston and parts of Wednesbury. James Bridge was previously known as DARlaston but the name could not be used when the exchange was brought into the Birmingham Director area because it clashed with EASt.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-526 and 0121-568.

ID: CMJAM.

Midland Telephone Exchange is located on the corner of Station Street and Hill Street, Birmingham B5 4AL. This exchange serves the centre part of Birmingham City Centre. The present exchange opened on 29/06/35.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-600, 0121-616, 0121-631, 0121-643, 0121-644, 0121-654, 0121-665 and 0121-666.

ID: CMMLD. Photo taken in 2011 courtesy of Stephen Richards.

The former Midland Telephone Exchange was located at 60 Hill Street , Birmingham and built by the National Telephone Company.

The exchange opened on 14/11/1908 and the building was demolished in 1972.

Photo courtesy of BT Archives.

The old image (above) shows an early picture of the Northern exchange is located in Soho Hill, Birmingham and serves Handsworth and Handsworth Wood. The first exchange for Handsworth opened in 1902, possibly in Villa Road. This exchange was converted to automatic operation at 2.00 pm on 07/03/31 with 2785 subscribers. The telephone codes currently used are 0121-507, 0121-515, 0121-523, 0121-551 and 0121-554. ID: CMNOR

The more recent picture (above) is of the Northern exchange is located in Soho Hill, Birmingham B19 1AP and serves Handsworth and Handsworth Wood.

The first exchange for Handsworth opened in 1902, possibly in Villa Road.

This exchange was converted to automatic operation at 2.00 pm on 07/03/31 with 2785 subscribers. The telephone codes currently used are 0121-507, 0121-515, 0121-523, 0121-551 and 0121-554. ID: CMNOR

Priory Telephone Exchange is located in Church Road, Northfield, Birmingham B31 2LD.  The original front building is displayed in the picture above. Since then the exchange has been dramatically extended. Priory ATE serves Northfield and parts of Longbridge and Bartley Green.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-411, 0121-475, 0121-476, 0121-477, 0121-478, 0121-482 and 0121-483.

ID: CMPRI.

Rectory exchange was one of the first to utilise the pioneering TXE4 reed-relay system. TXE4 was manufactured by Standard Telephones & Cables plc (STC) to gradually replace Strowger & Crossbar exchanges, the TXE4 could handle between 3,000 & 40,000 lines. The TXE4 was a modern switching system, which was based on a matrix containing hundreds of reed-relay switches which were controlled by micro-processors to route telephone traffic.

Rectory Telephone Exchange is located in Rectory Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 7RU.  It serves the Falcoln Lodge, New Hall, North Walmley, Rectory, Reddicap Heath, and Whitehouse Common areas of Sutton Coldfield. Rectory was enabled for ADSL on 03 September 2003.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-311, 0121-329 and 0121-378.

ID:CMREC.

Key dates in the history of Rectory ATE

Rubery Telephone Exchange is located on Bristol Road South, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9PA. This exchange serves Rednal, Rubery and parts of Longbridge. The present Rubery exchange, built in the grounds of the old Rubery Hill Mental Hospital, opened at 8.00am on 01/09/62. Rubery started life around 1923  above W.H. Gibbs, Newsagent, in New Road, providing 100 lines. In 1930 it moved to larger premises higher up and across New Road, where by 1962 it had five positions manned by ten day and seven night operators, providing service to over a thousand subscribers.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-453, 0121-457 and 0121-460.

ID: CMRUB.

Selly Oak Telephone Exchange is located in Oakfield Road, Selly Park, Birmingham B29 7HW. Records show that the first Selly Oak exchange was in 1905 on the Bristol Road. This exchange serves Selly Park and Selly Oak, it also used to serve the BBC Pebble Mill complex before it was demolished in 2005.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-414, 0121-415, 0121-432, 0121-471 and 0121-472.

ID: CMSEL.

There was previously a GPO building in Selly Oak located on the corner of Pershore Road and Dogpool Lane as shown by the photo (above ) taken by D.J.Norton during construction work in 1955. This housed Selly Oak Tandem and Selly Oak TCC, with Birmingham C repeater station on the ground floor – which fronted Dogpool Lane. The building is no longer in use.

Sheldon exchange is located in Lyndon Road (near the junction of Coventry Road (A45)), Sheldon, Solihull B92 7QU. This exchange serves Garretts Green and Sheldon.

The Sheldon ATE opened on 2 October 1931, an additional building was built in 1955.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-722, 0121-742 and 0121-743.

ID: CMSHE.

The picture above, taken in 1958, shows the Sheldon Tandem & Sheldon TCC, this was on the opposite side of Lyndon Road from the ATE, which has since been demolished.

Shirley Telephone Exchange is located in Haslucks Green Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 2EL. Shirley exchange first opened in 1906.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-701, 0121-733, 0121-744 and 0121-745.

ID: CMSHI.

Smethwick Telephone Exchange is located in Messenger Road, Smethwick, Warley B66 3DX.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-555, 0121-558 and 0121-565.

ID: CMSME.

The Solihull exchange is located in Poplar Road, Solihull B91 3AB and serves Solihull. The first Solihull exchange opened in 1902 at Mill Lane.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-704, 0121-705, 0121-709, 0121-711, 0121-712.

ID: CMSO.

This picture was taken in 1961 when the South Telephone Exchange first opened and is located in Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham.  South serves Moseley and Balsall Heath. The telephone codes currently used are 0121-442 and 0121-449. ID: CMSOUB

Springfield Telephone Exchange is located on Stratford Road, Hall Green , Birmingham B28 9AD and serves Hall Green, Springfield and Sparkhill.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-702, 0121-777 & 0121-778.

ID: CMSPR.

Stechford Exchange is located in Stuarts Road, Stechford, Birmingham B33 8UQ. This exchange serves Hodge Hill and Stechford.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-783, 0121-784, 0121-785, 0121-786  and 0121-789.

ID: CMSTE.

Stone Cross Telephone Exchange is located in Hollyhedge Road, Stone Cross, West Bromwich B71 3AE. This exchange covers Stone Cross and parts of West Bromwich. Stone Cross was converted to automatic operation on 15/10/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-567 and 0121-588.

ID: CMSTOX.

Sutton Coldfield Telephone Exchange is located in Station Street, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AT. Sutton Coldfield ATE serves subscribers in Sutton Coldfield and Boldmere and some parts of Wylde Green, New Oscott and Kingstanding. Sutton Coldfield exchange first opened in 1901 and by 1903 it had 38 subscribers.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-321, 0121-354, 0121-355 and 0121-362.

ID: CMSUT.

Tipton Telephone Exchange is located in Horseley Road, Tipton DY4 7LU and serves the Tipton area. This exchange was converted to automatic operation on 15/10/32.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-520, 0121-521, 0121-522, 0121-545 and 0121-557.

ID: CMTIP.

Victoria Telephone Exchange is located in Watery Lane Middleway, Bordesley, Birmingham B9 4HX and opened in 1976. It serves Small Heath and Sparkbrook.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-753, 0121-766, 0121-771, 0121-772 and 0121-773.

ID: CMVIC.

The first Victoria area telephone exchange covering the Small Heath area opened in 1894. The exchange then reopened in 1906 at 140-142 Coventry Road and in 1907 was renamed Victoria. It subsequently moved to Sandy Lane in 1910. The building was demolished in 1976. This exchange was converted to Automatic operation at 2.00 pm on 07/03/31 when it had 1775 subscribers.

Wednesbury Telephone Exchange is located in Camp Street, Wednesbury. This photo shows the original part of the building as it was when it was built in 1936. The exchange went automatic on 04/12/37.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-502, 0121-505 and 0121-556.

ID: CMWED. Photo courtesy of BT Archives.

West Bromwich Telephone Exchange is located in Church Street, West Bromwich B70 8RP and serves West Bromwich. West Bromwich exchange went automatic on 04/12/37.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-500, 0121-524, 0121-525, 0121-553, 0121-567, 0121-569, 0121-580 and 0121-588.

ID: CMWESB.

Woodgate Telephone Exchange is located on Hagley Road West, Quinton, Birmingham B32 1DJ.  This exchange serves Quinton and Woodgate Valley. Woodgate was previously known as Quinton, but the name had to be changed for auto working as this clashed with ‘O’ for the Operator and on earlier dials there wasn’t a Q. As with many smaller exchanges BT no longer require all the available space. Here Exchange House, the front part of the Quinton Telephone Exchange building, has been converted into both apartments and office space. British Telecom continue to occupy part of the ground floor of the building.

The telephone codes currently used are 0121-421, 0121-422 and 0121-423.

ID: CMWDGT.

This exchange is scheduled to cease operation in December 2030 and close in June 2031.