The six BT Telephone Exchanges (and five former) in the Burnley (01282) telephone area
Barnoldswick ATE
Barnoldswick former ATE
The former Barnoldswick telephone exchange is located at 26 Kelbrook Road, Barnoldswick BB18 5BX.
It came into service as a UAX14 on Tuesday 26 September 1950 to replace a five-position magneto manual exchange. It closed on 11 April 1977 and was bought the following year by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland who converted it into a church.
Its dialling code was 028 281.
Photo (2013) courtesy of Mike Berrell.
Burnley ATE
The two-storey extension shown in front of the original exchange was a compromise. A planning application was submitted to increase the height of the main building from three floors to five.  However permission was refused, due to the proposed overall height, being ‘inconsistent’ with the local ‘sky scape’!
As a result, the extension was constructed at the front of the original building and, in a completely different fabric.  The main entrance was lost, with access being through a stairwell door on a side street.  In addition , the landscaping to the front also disappeared.
Burnley former ATE
Colne ATE
The numbers were later changed to 6 digits (0282-86) at the same time as Barnoldswick (0282-81); both exchanges then became part of the Burnley Linked Numbering System.
Colne former Manual Exchange
The last manual exchange in Colne was situated in the former post office at 43 Albert Road, Colne BB8 0BU.
It was opened in 1928 to replace a National Telephone Company exchange at 1 Calder Street (since demolished).
It closed on 20 May 1970 at the opening of the new Colne exchange. The post office is now (2025) home to a vehicle leasing company.
The manual board at Colne was accessed via ‘Level 5′ from Burnley LNS and ’95’ from the ‘Level 8’ dependant exchanges.
Photo (2013) courtesy of Steve Daniels.
Earby ATE
Nelson ATE
Padiham ATE
Wycoller former ATE
The former Wycoller telephone exchange stands in a lane between 187 and 189 Cotton Tree Lane, Colne BB8 7BN. It served an area including eastern Colne, Trawden and Wycoller. It replaced a manual exchange originally called Cotton Tree, opened during or shortly after World War One to relieve Colne exchange. But “Cotton Tree” was confused with “Coventry” so it was changed to Colne East in 1937. The ATE opened as a UAX13 on 11 January 1938, but there was still confusion – between Colne East and Colne. Colne council wanted to change it to Laneshaw Bridge but Trawden council preferred Trawden Forest. The compromise name of Wycoller was adopted from 11 October 1950, even though the hamlet of that name had only one telephone at the time. It closed on 20 May 1970 when its lines went to the new Crossbar exchange which replaced the manual Colne exchange. It is now a house called Hill View.
Former Burnley Relief Exchange
- Pendle Forest Former Relief ExchangeA mobile relief UAX was introduced for Colne in the early 1970’s. The new Colne Crossbar ATE was virtually at capacity from the day it was commissioned. The former dialling code for Pendle Forest was 0282-83.