The eleven BT Telephone Exchanges (and four former) in the Hunstanton (01485) telephone area
Brancaster ATE
Brancaster telephone exchange is located in Mill Road, Brancaster, King’s Lynn PE31 8AN and also covers Titchwell, Brancaster Staithe and Burnham Deepdale. It opened as a TXE2 at 7am on 9 November 1983. The Lynn Advertiser reported that “exciting Brancaster three-digit numbers will be prefixed by 210”. (Which numbers it considered exciting remains unclear.)
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01485-21.
Its former dialling code was 0485.
ID: EABNC. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Brancaster former ATE
The former Brancaster exchange is in Choseley Road, Brancaster, King’s Lynn PE31 8AY. It was opened as an RAX 5 in 1929, taking over lines from Thornham exchange including the Thornham 15 rural party line. It was upgraded to a UAX12 on 25 January 1950. After closing in 1983, it was extended upwards and is now a holiday let called Crossed Wires.
Its dialling code was 048 521.
ID: EABNC. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Dersingham ATE
Dersingham telephone exchange is located in Post Office Road, Dersingham, King’s Lynn PE31 6HS and also covers Snettisham, Ingoldisthorpe, Sandringham, West Newton, Shernborne and Wolferton. It came into service on 28 February 1974 when three-digit numbers became Dersingham 40***. It was converted to digital working in October 1989.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01485-54.
Its former dialling code was 0485.
ID: EADSM. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Dersingham former ATE
The former Dersingham exchange is at 1A Fern Hill, Dersingham, King’s Lynn PE31 6HT. It came into service in May 1938 as a UAX 13, replacing the manual exchanges in Dersingham and Wolferton post offices (opened on 7 September 1910 and 9 June 1920 respectively). It was advertised for sale in 1975 and is currently used by an electrical engineering firm.
Its former dialling code was 048 54.
ID: EADSM. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Docking ATE
Docking telephone exchange is located in High Street, Docking, King’s Lynn PE31 8NG and covers Docking, Stanhoe and Fring. It came into service as an RAX 6 in 1934, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office in 1923. It took over most of the lines from the Stanhoe exchange when it closed on 1 September 1936. It was converted from Strowger to digital working on 8 March 1991.
The principal telephone codes for this exchange are 01485-517 and 01485-518.
Its former dialling code was 048 58.
ID: EADOC. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
East Rudham ATE
East Rudham telephone exchange is located in Fakenham Road, East Rudham, King’s Lynn PE31 6TA and also covers West Rudham, Tattersett, Sculthorpe and Houghton. It came into service as an RAX 5 in 1932, replacing a manual exchange opened on 15 April 1914. It was upgraded to a UAX12 on 14 June 1938. It was converted from Strowger to digital working on 18 December 1990.
The principal telephone codes for this exchange are 01485-528 and 01485-529.
Its former dialling code was 048 522.
ID: EAERD. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Great Massingham ATE
Great Massingham telephone exchange is located in Rudham Road, Great Massingham, King’s Lynn PE32 2JB and covers Great Massingham, Little Massingham and Harpley. It took over in about 1961 from an RAX5 which came into service in 1935 (replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office on 30 November 1922). It was converted to digital working on 24 November 1989 with numbers becoming Great Massingham 520***.
The principal telephone codes for this exchange are 01485-520 and 01485-521.
Its former dialling code was 048 524.
ID: EAGMS. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Heacham ATE
Heacham telephone exchange is located in Marea Meadows, Heacham, Hunstanton PE31 7SR and covers Heacham and Sedgeford. Building work was briefly hit by a strike of construction workers in August 1972. It came into service on 1 May 1974 when three-digit numbers became Heacham 70***. It was converted to digital working in March 1994.
The principal telephone codes for this exchange are 01485-570, 01485-571, 01485-572 and 01485-579.
Its former dialling code was 0485.
ID: EAHEA. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Heacham former ATE
The former Heacham exchange is at 14 Kenwood Road, Heacham PE31 7DD. It came into service in the early 1940s as a UAX 13, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office on 25 June 1914. It ceased operation in May 1974. It is currently a private house which sold, in February 2021, for £190,000.
Its dialling code was 048 57.
ID: EAHEA. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Hillington ATE
Hillington telephone exchange is located in Station Road, Hillington, King’s Lynn PE31 6DG and also covers Congham, Roydon, Flitcham and part of Grimston.
It came into service in 1937 as a UAX12, replacing a manual exchange opened on 17 June 1908. For the last 18 months of Strowger working, it hosted the relief exchange Pedders Way (sometimes spelt Peddars Way). All numbers became Hillington 600*** on 16 September 1981. It was converted to digital working on 16 September 1994.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01485-60.
Its former dialling code was 048 56. The dialling code for Pedders Way was 048 55 (previously used for Snettisham).
ID: EAHIL. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Holme ATE
Holme telephone exchange is located in Main Road, Holme, Hunstanton PE36 6LD and covers Holme-next-the-Sea and Ringstead. It came into service in 1937 as a UAX12, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office in March 1912, (which only ever had a handful of subscribers). It was converted from Strowger to digital working c 1994.
The principal telephone code for this exchange 01485-525.
Its former dialling code was 048 525.
ID: EAHOH. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Hunstanton ATE
Hunstanton telephone exchange is located in Homefields Road, Hunstanton PE36 5HW and also covers Old Hunstanton. It came into service on 23 March 1966 to replace a manual exchange opened in the post office on 14 April 1906. It was converted to digital working in July 1990.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01485-53.
Its former dialling code was 048 53.
ID: EAHNS. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Snettisham former ATE
The former Snettisham exchange is at 73 Lynn Rd, Snettisham, King’s Lynn PE31 7QA. It came into service in late 1936 or early 1937 to replace a manual exchange opened in mid-1909. It closed in October 1976 when most lines were transferred to Dersingham as 41*** numbers, though four lines were moved onto Heacham.
It is currently used as a parish council office.
Its dialling code was 048 55.
Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Syderstone ATE
Syderstone telephone exchange is located in Main Road, Bagthorpe, King’s Lynn PE31 6QY and also covers Bircham Newton, Bagthorpe and Barmer. It opened on 12 October 1931, taking some lines from East Rudham exchange and some from the manual Stanhoe exchange which closed on 1 September 1936. It was converted to digital working, with all numbers changed to 578*** at 7am on 5 October 1994.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01485-578.
Its former dialling code was 048 523.
ID: EASYD. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Thornham ATE
Thornham telephone exchange is located in Hall Lane, Thornham, Hunstanton PE36 6NB. Its coverage is mainly confined to the village of Thornham. It came into service in late 1936 or early 1937 as a UAX 12, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office on 18 January 1911. It was converted to digital working c 1994.
The telephone code for this exchange in 01485-512.
Its former dialling code was 048 526.
ID: EATNM. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.