The nine BT Telephone Exchanges (and four former) in Darlington (01325) telephone area
Darlington has an important place in telephone history. The first public exchange in the world using Western Electric’s motor-driven Rotary System was opened here in 1914. The installation was part of trials to decide which system should be used to automate Britain’s phone network. The system, adopted by Hull Corporation and administrations throughout Europe and elsewhere, was rejected by the Post Office in favour of Strowger step-by-step exchanges but the Darlington Rotary remained in service for nearly 30 years. As the Rotary System used non-standard pulses, every telephone dial in the town had to be changed when it was eventually replaced
Photos courtesy of British Telephones.
Aycliffe ATE
Aycliffe telephone exchange is located in Bradford Close, Newton Aycliffe DL5 5HU and covers Newton Aycliffe, Aycliffe, Heighington, Brafferton, Preston-le-Skerne and Woodham.
The former Aycliffe ATE, which opened in 1947 and housed a UAX14, was situated by the waterworks in Heighington Street and has since been demolished.
The first exchange here was a manual board which opened in the 1920s. When the Aycliffe Royal Ordnance factory closed in 1945, the businesses which sprang up on the site were served briefly by a three-digit relief exchange called Demonsbridge.
It was absorbed into an Aycliffe auto exchange.
The current Aycliffe exchange’s principal telephone codes include 01325-30, 01325-31 and 01325-32.
The dialling code of its predecessor exchange was 032 571.
ID: NEAYC. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Barton ATE
Barton telephone exchange is located in The Porch, Barton, Richmond DL10 6NH and also covers Middleton Tyas and Moulton. The first exchange here was a manual board which opened in the post office in 1925. A UAX12 auto exchange was opened in the building seen here in the late 1930s.
The principal telephone code is 01325-377.
Its former dialling code was 032 577.
ID: NEBRT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Croft ATE
Croft telephone exchange is located in Croft Road, Hurworth, Darlington DL2 2JG and covers Hurworth-on-Tees, Hurworth Place, Croft, Neasham and Dalton-on-Tees.
It is likely to have come into service in 1971 when Croft lines became Darlington 720*** numbers.
The former Croft ATE, which housed a UAX13, was located on the same site and has since been demolished. It opened around 1963 to replace a manual exchange (see former Croft/Hurworth Manual).
Its principal telephone codes include 01325-720, 01325-721 01325-722 and 01325-729.
Its former dialling code was 032 572.
ID: NECOT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Croft (Hurworth) former Manual Exchange
The former Croft manual telephone exchange was located in the front room of 19 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington DL2 2DG. The first telephone exchange called Croft was opened by the National Telephone Company around 1898 with just two subscribers. The company opened a separate exchange called Hurworth in 1900, replacing Croft. The Post Office changed the name back to Croft around 1924. The last Croft caretaker/operator at 19 Hurworth Road was Jim Mercer. It closed around 1963.
ID: NECOT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Darlington ATE
Darlington telephone exchange is located in Barnard Street, Darlington DL3 7DT and also covers Stapleton.
It came into service at 1.30pm on Saturday 10 June 1944, replacing the Darlington Rotary system exchange and the Darlington Relief manual exchange. By the late 1960s it also needed a relief exchange – a three- and four-digit unit given the name Bondgate and the STD code 032 579. Bondgate lines became Darlington 5xxxx numbers around 1976.
Darlington exchange’s principal telephone codes include 01325-2, 01325-38 and 01325-4.
Its former dialling code was 0325.
ID: NEDL. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Darlington former ATE
The former Darlington automatic exchange was housed in a specially-built extension to the former postal sorting office in Crown Street (DL1 1PN) replacing a manual exchange at 30 Priestgate opened by the Northern District Telephone Company in 1887.
It came into service on 10 October 1914 using Western Electric Rotary System equipment with a four-digit numbering scheme catering initially for 800 lines. It was extended to 1200 lines in 1923, and later to 1500. In 1938 it could be extended no further and a manual exchange called Darlington Relief was opened to cope with demand. The Rotary System was finally shut down in June 1944, a correspondent to the Post Office Electrical Engineers Journal noting that ‘the gain of a new and modern exchange does not immediately relieve the regrets at parting from an old, though very troublesome, mechanical colleague.’
ID: NEDL. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Dinsdale ATE
Dinsdale telephone exchange is located in Browns Buildings, Yarm Road, Middleton St George, Darlington DL2 1EJ and covers Middleton St George, Middleton-One-Row, Sadberge, Dinsdale Park and Teeside Airport. It came into service in the 1970’s.
The former Dinsdale ATE, which housed a UAX13, was located adjacent to the current exchange and has since been demolished.
The first exchange here was called Middleton-One-Row. It was opened as a manual exchange around 1900 by the National Telephone Company. Latterly at least, it was housed at Salisbury Place, Middleton St George in a building now demolished. Its name was changed to Dinsdale in 1947.
Its principal telephone code is 01325-33.
Its former dialling code was 032 573.
ID: NEDN. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
East Layton ATE
East Layton telephone exchange is located in Forcett Close, East Layton, Richmond DL11 7RH, and also covers West Layton, Caldwell, Melsonby, Forcett, Eppleby and Ravensworth. The first exchange here was a manual board opened in the post office in 1926 or 1927.
All East Layton lines became Darlington 718*** numbers in about 1981.
Its principal telephone codes include 01325-717 and 01325-718.
Its former dialling code was 032 570.
ID: NEELA. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Gainford ATE
Gainford telephone exchange is located in Spa Road, Gainford, Darlington, DL2 3EB and also covers Winston, Langton, Headlam and Ingleton. It is beleived to have replaced the former exchange around 1982 when Gainford lines became Darlington 730*** numbers.
The principal telephone codes include 01325-730 and 01325-732.
Its former dialling code was 0325.
ID: NEGNFD. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Gainford former ATE
The former Gainford telephone exchange was located in Spa Road, Gainford, Darlington, DL2 3EB. It came into operation as a UAX in around 1937.
The first exchange here was a manual switchboard opened by the Post Office around 1902.
Its former dialling code was 032 576.
ID: NEGNFD. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
North Cowton ATE
North Cowton telephone exchange stands beside the B1263 in North Cowton, Northallerton DL7 0HB and also covers East Cowton, South Cowton and Moulton End.
The first exchange here was an RAX5, opened around 1933.
Its principal telephone code is 01325-378.
Its former dialling code was 032 578.
ID: NENCT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Piercebridge ATE
Piercebridge telephone exchange is located on the B6275, a mile south of Piercebridge and also covers Manfield, High Coniscliffe, Summerhouse, Denton and Aldborough St John.
The first exchange here was a manual switchboard opened by the Post Office around 1902. An RAX5 auto exchange opened here around 1931. A UAX 12 or 13 came into service in 1950.
Its principal telephone codes include 01325-374 and 01325-710.
Its former dialling code was 032 574.
ID: NEPG. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Stapleton former ATE
The former Stapleton telephone exchange was located in Darlington Road, Stapleton DL2 2QB.
It came into service as a UAX 12 around 1936, replacing a manual board which opened in the post office in 1928. It is now an outhouse in the garden of a house called Hazelhurst.
It ceased operation around 1973 when lines were transferred to Darlington as 50xxx numbers.
Its dialling code was 032 575.
Photo courtesy of John Cranston.