The five BT Telephone Exchanges (and two former) in the Leyburn (01969) telephone area

Aysgarth ATE

Aysgarth ATE
Aysgarth Telephone Exchange is located on the A684 in Aysgarth, Leyburn DL8 3SR and serves Aysgarth, Carperby, Newbiggin, Swinithwaite, Thoralby, Thornton Rust, West Burton and Woodhall.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01969-663.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 096 93.
ID: NEASG. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.

Bainbridge ATE

Bainbridge ATE
Bainbridge Telephone Exchange is located between Askrigg & Bainbridge, Leyburn DL8 3BN and serves Askrigg, Bainbridge, Countersett, Marsett, Stalling Busk and Worton.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01969-650.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0969.
ID: NEBNG. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.

Coverdale ATE

Coverdale ATE
Coverdale Telephone Exchange is located in Melmerby, Leyburn DL8 4BA and serves Carlton, Melmerby and surrounding villages.

It came into service on 17 December 1955, taking 130 lines from the manual Middleham exchange which closed that day. All lines became Wensleydale 40*** numbers c 1978.

The telephone code for this exchange is 01969-640.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0969.
ID: NECOD. Photo courtesy of Neil White.

Hawes ATE

Hawes ATE
Hawes Telephone Exchange is located in Hardrow Road, Hawes DL8 3QA and serves Appersett, Burtersett, Gayle, Hardraw, Hawes, Sedbusk, and Simonstone.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01969-667.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 096 97.
ID: NEHAS. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.

Leyburn ATE

Leyburn ATE
Leyburn Telephone Exchange is located in Wensley Road, Leyburn DL8 5BN and serves Bellerby, Castle Bolton, East Witton, Harmby, Leyburn, Middleham, Preston-under-Scar, Redmire, Spennithorne, Wensley and West Witton.

It came into service, possibly as a UAX 14, in April 1940, replacing a manual exchange opened c 1920. In December 1955 it took over lines from Middleham manual exchange  (see Middleham). All lines became Wensleydale 2**** numbers from 1978.

The telephone code for this exchange is 01969-622.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0969.
ID: NELEB. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.

Middleham former ATE

Middleham location map

Middleham was a hypothetical exchange which covered Middleham, Spennithorne and East Witton. Middleham manual exchange was opened about 1920. When its closure was announced, racehorse trainers and other residents objected to the loss of local identity. Post Office officials agreed to retain the name Middleham in the directories after lines were transferred to Leyburn auto exchange in December 1955. So one exchange had two names. Both were changed to Wensleydale in 1978.

Photo: 1960 Middlesbrough area telephone directory (BT Archives)

Wensley former ATE

Wensley former ATE

The former Wensley telephone exchange is located 400 yards NW of the village of Wensley, Leyburn, on the road to Preston.  It served Wensley, West Witton and Coverham. It came into service as a UAX12 around 1939, replacing a manual exchange opened around 1920. It closed around 1966, its lines being transferred mainly to Leyburn and Coverdale exchanges.

Photo courtesy of Craig Gonsalves.
Acknowledgment:
Most of the information and photographs on this page have been generously provided by David Hillas.
I am grateful to him for allowing me to reproduce the information on this site.
If you would like to send us a picture of your local telephone exchange, via the Feedback page, we would be pleased to include it