The seven BT Telephone Exchanges (and two former) in the Madingley (01954) telephone area
Caxton ATE
Caxton telephone exchange is situated in Bourn Road, Caxton, Cambridge CB23 3PP and serves Cambourne, Caxton and the surrounding area.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01954-71.
Its former dialling code was 095 44.
ID: EACAX. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Cottenham ATE
Cottenham telephone exchange is situated in Denmark Road, Cottenham, Cambridge CB24 8QS and serves Cottenham and the surrounding area.
Prior to being converted to a System X digital exchange it was equipped with a TXE2.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01954-25.
Its former dialling code was 095 45.
ID: EACTM. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Cottenham former ATE
The former Cottenham telephone exchange is at 40 Margett Street, Cottenham, Cambridge CB24 8QY.
It came into service in the late 1940s as a UAX13 to replace a manual exchange.
It closed in May 1972 and is now a dental practice.
Its dialling code was 095 45.
ID: EACTM. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Crafts Hill ATE
Crafts Hill telephone exchange is in Viking Way, Bar Hill, Cambridge CB23 8EL and serves an area including Bar Hill, Dry Drayton and Longstanton.
The first Crafts Hill exchange was a three-digit mobile unit which opened around the end of 1968. It was replaced by the present exchange on 28 June 1972 when existing numbers became Crafts Hill 80***. It also took over some Elsworth, Madingley and Willingham lines at the same time.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01954-
The dialling code of the mobile unit was 095 48.
ID: EACFH. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Elsworth ATE
Elsworth telephone exchange is in Elsworth Road, Boxworth, Cambridge CB23 4LX and also serves an area including Kanpwell and Conington.
The first automatic exchange here came into service in 1932 as an RAX5 with 12 liines and was upgrdaded to a UAX12 four years later. It was converted from Strowger to digital working in 1993.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01954-267 and 01954-268.
Its former dialling code was 095 47.
ID: EAESW. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Madingley ATE
Madingley telephone exchange is located in Cambridge Road, Hardwick, Cambridge CB23 7QG and serves Hardwick, Madingley and the surrounding area.
It came into service in October 1978. The previous Madingley exchange was demolished as it was in the path of the Cambridge northern bypass. To bridge the gap between the two exchanges, three mobile units were used on the present site.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01954-21 and 01954-24.
Its former dialling code was 095 42.
ID: EAMAD. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Swavesey ATE
Swavesey telephone exchange is off Wallmans Lane, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4QY and also serves an area including Fen Drayton and Over.
It came into service in January 1973 when lines became Swavesey 30*** numbers.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01954-23.
Its former dialling code was 095 43.
ID: EASWV. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Swavesey former ATE
The former Swavesey telephone exchange is at 39 Wallman’s Lane, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4QY. It came into service in the late 1940s or early 1950s and closed in January 1973. It is now a private house.
Its dialling code was 095 43.
ID: EASWV. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.
Willingham ATE
Willingham telephone exchange is situated in Station Road, Willingham, Cambridge CB24 5HF and serves Willingham and the surrounding area.
It came into service on 14 February 1974 when lines became Willingham 60*** numbers. It cost £86,000 and had 748 subscribers at opening. It succeeded an earlier exchange – location unknown, but possibly in Church Lane – which opened on 26 June 1951 to replace a manual board.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01954-260 and 01954-261.
The former dialling code was 095 46.
ID: EAWLM. Photo courtesy of Anthony Smart.