The fourteen BT Telephone Exchanges (and ten former) in the Chester (01244) telephone area
Aldford ATE
Buckley ATE
Buckley telephone exchange is in Coppa View, Buckley CH7 2AA and serves Buckley and the surrounding area.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01244-54 and 01244-55.
The dialling code for this exchange was 024 454.
ID: WNBUC. courtesy of David Jones.
Buckley former ATE
The former Buckley telephone exchange stands in the grounds of 88 Brunswick Road, Buckley, CH7 2ER
It came into service as a UAX13. It closed in 1968 and is now the garage of a private house.
Its dialling code was 024 454.
The area was also served by the Spon Green mobile relief exchange, dialling code 024 452, from 1967 till 13 June 1969.
Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Chester Central ATE
Chester North ATE
Chester South ATE
Christleton ATE
Connahs Quay ATE
ID: WNDEE. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Connahs Quay former Manual Exchange
The former Connah’s Quay manual exchange, seen here on the left, is at 3 Ash Grove, Shotton CH5 1AF.
It closed in 1964 when the ATE opened in Jubilee Street.
It has since been converted into flats.
Photo (2018) courtesy of Jaggery.
Eccleston former ATE
The former Eccleston exchange stands in Rake Lane, Eccleston, Chester CH4 9HQ.
The first ATE here came into service in the early 1930s as an RAX5. Eccleston exchange closed in the mid-1970s and is now used as a store.
Its dialling code was 024 464.
Photo courtesy of A J Cookson.
Great Mollington ATE
ID: WNGM. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Great Mollington former ATE
ID: WNGM. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Hawarden ATE
Hawarden former ATE
The former Hawarden ATE stands to the south of the current exchange in Trueman’s Court, Hawarden, Deeside CH5 3DR
It came into service around 1940 as a UAX14. It is currently disused.
Its dialling code was 024 453.
ID: WNHAW. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Kinnerton ATE
Kinnerton former ATE
Mickle Trafford ATE
ID: WNMT. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Mickle Trafford former ATE
ID: WNMT. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Rossett ATE
Saughall ATE
ID: WNSAU. Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Saughall former ATE
The former Saughall ATE stands at 6A Hermitage Road, Saughall, Chester CH1 6BE.
It came into service as a UAX13. It closed on 24 January 1979 when its lines, and those of the Shotwick relief exchange (former code 024 450) became respectively Saughall 880*** and 881*** numbers. It has since been extended as a private house.
Its dialling code was 024 458.
ID: WNSAU. Photo (2007) courtesy of Rightmove.
Sealand ATE
Thornton-le-Moors former ATE
The first Thornton-le-Moors exchange stands in Thornton Green Lane, Thornton-le-Moors, Chester CH2 4JQ.
It came into service on 6 April 1933 as an RAX5 with 15 subscribers, the area having previously been served by Helsby and Frodsham exchanges. It closed in 1958 and was later used as a hairdressers and briefly a post office. Â It is now a private bungalow called The Old Exchange.
It did not have an STD code.
Photo courtesy of David Jones.
Thornton-le-Moors former ATE
The second Thornton-le-Moors exchange stood opposite Holly Bank House in Poole Lane, Thornton-le-Moors, Chester CH2 4JF.
It came into service in 1958 to replace a UAX5. It closed around 1986 and was sold in 1989. It was demolished in 2024 to be replaced by a house.
Its dialling code was 024 463.
Photo of the site courtesy of David Jones.
Former Chester Relief Exchanges
- Estuary Former Relief ExchangeEstuary was a mobile relief exchange to Connah’s Quay, it entered into service from the end of 1971 until 18 June 1975, when lines on both exchanges became Deeside numbers. Its dialling code was 024 469.
- Shotwick Former Relief ExchangeShotwick was a mobile relief exchange to Saughall, in operation from around 1973 until 24 January 1979 when the new Saughall exchange opened. Its dialling code was 024 450.
- Spon Green Former Relief ExchangeSpon Green was a mobile relief exchange for Buckley, in operation from early 1967 until June 1969. Its dialling code was 024 452.