The eleven BT Telephone Exchanges (and five former) in the Lowestoft (01502) telephone area
Aldeby ATE
Aldeby telephone exchange is located in Waterheath Road, Aldeby, Beccles NR34 0EL and also covers Burgh St Peter, Waterheath, Haddiscoe, Toft Monks and Maypole Green. It opened in March 1930 as an RAX5. The area had previously been served by Beccles exchange and a rural party line from Fritton exchange.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01502-677, 01502-678 and 01502-679.
Its former dialling code 050 277.
ID: EAABY. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Barnby ATE
Barnby telephone exchange is located in Beccles Road, Mutford NR34 7PL and covers Barnby, Mutford, North Cove, Hulver and part of Ellough. It replaced an exchange opened in 1930 as an RAX 5, the area having previously been served in part by party lines from Beccles and Oulton Broad.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01502-475 and 01502-476.
Its former dialling code was 050 276.
ID: EABBY. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Beccles ATE
Beccles telephone exchange is located in Crowfoot Gardens, Beccles NR34 9UA and also covers Geldeston, Gillingham, Worlingham, Ellough, Ringsfield, Barsham and Shipmeadow. It came into service as a TXK1 in 1971.
The telephone code for this exchange is principally 01502-71.
ID: EABEC. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Beccles former ATE
The former Beccles telephone exchange is in Crowfoot Gardens, Beccles NR34 9UA. It came into service in 1937 as a UAX 7, replacing a manual exchange first opened by the National Telephone Company at 12 Ballygate Street in 1896. It went out of service in 1971 and has since been converted into two private houses.
Its former dialling code was 050 271.
ID: EABEC. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Blundeston ATE
Blundeston telephone exchange is located in Corton Long Lane, Lowestoft NR32 5HA and also covers Corton, Hopton, Somerleyton, Lound and northern parts of Lowestoft and Oulton Broad. It came into service in 1972.
Its predecessor exchange was a UAX13 situated in Blundeston Road, Corton NR32 5DE, which replaced, in about 1948, a manual exchange opened in 1913 (which itself replaced Hopton exchange in 1923).
The telephone code for this exchange is principally 01502-73.
The dialling code of its predecessor was 050 273.
ID: EBLU. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Blythburgh ATE
Blythburgh telephone exchange is located in London Road, Blythburgh, Halesworth IP19 9NQ and also covers Wenhaston, Blyford, and Thorington. It opened as an RAX5 on 17 November 1930 with 11 subscribers, the area having been previously covered in part by a rural party line from Halesworth.
The telephone code for this exchange is principally 01502-478.
Its former dialling code was 050 270.
ID: EABLY. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Brampton ATE
Brampton telephone exchange is located in London Road, Shadingfield NR34 8DF and covers Brampton, Shadingfield, Sotterley, Stoven and Redisham.
The telephone codes for this exchange is principally 01502-575.
Its former dialling code was 050 279.
ID: EABRT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Brampton former ATE
The former Brampton telephone exchange opened in 1932 as an RAX5 in an area previously covered in part by Halesworth, Beccles and a party line from Kessingland exchange.
ID: EABRT. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Kessingland ATE
Kessingland telephone exchange is located in The Avenue, Kessingland, Lowestoft NR33 7QD and also covers Henstead, Rushmere and Black Street. It came into service around 1977. Its predecessor exchange was a U13, which in 1948 replaced a manual exchange opened in 1914.
The telephone code for this exchange is principally 01502-74
Its former dialling code was 050 274.
ID: EAKSL. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Kessingland former ATE
The former Kessingland telephone exchange is located in Field Lane, Kessingland, Lowestoft NR33 7QB and also covered Henstead, Rushmere and Black Street.
It came into service in 1948, as a UAX13, and closed around 1977 when the current exchange opened.
Its former dialling code was 050 274.
ID: EAKSL. Photo courtesy of Rightmove.
Lowestoft ATE
Lowestoft telephone exchange is located in Clapham Road, Lowestoft NR32 1QR and also covers Oulton Broad, Carlton Colville, Pakefield and Gisleham. It came into service on 21 Sep 1961 replacing a manual exchange by the old post office (successor to the first exchange opened in Bevan Street in 1890) and taking over the Oulton Broad and Pakefield manual exchanges.
The telephones codes for this exchange include 01502-50, 01502-51, 01502-52, 01502-53, 01502-56, 01502-572, 01502-573, 01502-574 and 01502-58.
Its former dialling code was 0502.
ID: EALOW. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Southwold ATE
Southwold telephone exchange is located in Pier Avenue, Southwold IP18 6BX and serves Southwold, Reydon and Walberswick.
It came into service around 1977 when Southwold numbers became 6-digit.
The telephone code for this exchange is principally 01502-72.
Its former dialling code was 0502.
ID: EASWD. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Southwold former ATE
The former Southwold exchange is behind the post office in Manor Park Road, Southwold IP18 6AF. It came into operation as a UAX14 in 1939, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office in 1905. A four-armed telegraph pole (DP1) survives behind it. It is now a meeting place run by the local Catholic church and is called Cardinal Newman Hall.
Its dialling code was 050 272.
ID: EASWD. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Wangford ATE
The older Wangford telephone exchange is located in High Sreet, Wangford, Beccles NR34 8RA and covers Wangford and Uggeshall. It came into service in 1939 as a UAX12 to replace the manual exchange in the post office opened in 1923.
The telephone codes for this exchange is principally 01502-578.
Its former dialling code was 050 278.
ID: EAWAN. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Wangford ATE
This photo also shows the older exchange building at the forefront but shows the more recent exchange building at the rear. Wangford telephone exchange is located in High Sreet, Wangford, Beccles NR34 8RA and This exchange covers Wangford and Uggeshall. It came into service in 1939 as a UAX12 to replace the manual exchange in the post office opened in 1923.
The telephone codes for this exchange is principally 01502-578.
Its former dialling code was 050 278.
ID: EAWAN. Photo courtesy of Simon Cowper-Smith.
Wrentham ATE
Wrentham telephone exchange is located in Mill Lane, Wrentham, Beccles NR34 7JQ and also covers Benacre, Covehithe, Cove Bottom and Frostenden. It opened as a UAX 12 early in World War II, replacing a manual exchange opened in 1926 (Wrentham having been covered since 1921 by a rural party line from Kessingland).
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01502-675 and 01502-676.
Its former dialling code was 050 275.
ID: EAWRE. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Acknowledgment:
The photographs and information on this page has been generously provided by Simon Cowper-Smith and John Cranston
with the help of BT Archives, Eric G Clayton, Terry Mallett, and Alan Mortram among many others.