The fourteen BT Telephone Exchanges (and six former) in the Morpeth (01670) telephone area
Ashington ATE
Ashington telephone exchange is located in Reiverdale Road, Ashington NE63 9YY and serves Ashington and the surrounding area. It came into service around the start of 1973 to replace an earlier auto exchange in North View.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01670-52, 01670-81, 01670-84 and 01670-85.
Its former dialling code was 067 081.
ID: NEAT. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Ashington former ATE
The former Ashington telephone exchange was in North View, Ashington N63 9XQ and served Ashington and the surrounding area.
It came into service on Wednesday 17 December 1947 as a UAX14.
It closed around the start on 1973 and was later turned into a gym for the neighbouring YMCA.
Its former dialling code was 067 081.
ID: NEAT. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Bedlington ATE
Bedlington telephone exchange is situated in Glebe Road, Bedlington NE22 6JX and serves Bedlington and the surrounding area. It came into service in late 1972 replacing an earlier automatic exchange.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01670-530, 01670-531, 01670-536 and 01670-82.
Its former dialling code was 067 082.
ID: NEBDT.
Bedlington former ATE
The former Bedlington telephone exchange stood behind properties on East End Front Street, Bedlington (now NE22 5AB).
It came into service in the late 1930s as a UAX7 and closed in late 1972. The site is now occupied by new housing in Perry Stone Mews.
Its former dialling code was 067 082.
ID: NEBDT. Map courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.
Blyth ATE
Blyth telephone exchange is located in Marine Terrace East, Blyth NE24 2JJ and serves Blyth and the surrounding area. It came into service in the late 1950s to replace a magneto exchange in the post office.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01670-35, 01670-36 and 01670-54.
Its former dialling code was 067-06.
ID: NEBH. Awaiting photo.
Blyth former Manual Exchange
Blyth’s manual exchange was on the upper floors of the former post office in Bridge Street, Blyth (now NE24 1AA). The building was officially opened in 1913 and the exchange was installed some time later. It remained a magneto switchboard until replaced by the current exchange in the late 1950s.
Picture courtesy of Peter Smith.
Cramlington ATE
Cramlington telephone exchange is located in Village Road, Cramlington NE23 2AH and serves Cramlington and the surrounding area.
Built at a cost of £140,000 to replace a UAX (since demolished), it was opened by the local MP Eddie Milne on 29 January 1969, when it had 637 subscribers.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-59, 01670-70, 01670-71 and 01670-73.
Its former dialling code was 067 071.
ID: NECM.
Felton ATE
Felton telephone exchange is Located in Low Close, Felton, Morpeth NE65 9FF and serves Felton and the surrounding area.
The first auto exchange here came into service in the spring of 1937 to replace a manual exchange.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-787.
Its former dialling code was 067 087.
ID: NEFEL. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Hartburn ATE
Hartburn telephone exchange is situated on the B6343 in Hartburn, Morpeth NE61 4ET and serves Hartburn and the surrounding area.
The first auto exchange here was a UAX 12 opened on 31 January 1939.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-772.
Its former dialling code was 067 072.
ID: NEHR. Picture courtesy of Jake Thomas.
Longhorsley ATE
Longhorsley telephone exchange is located on West Road, Longhorsley, Morpeth NE65 8UY and serves serves Longhorsley and the surrounding area.
The first exchange here came into service as an RAX5 in the early 1930s.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-788.
Its former dialling code was 067 088.
ID: NELL. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Lynemouth ATE
Lynemouth telephone exchange is situated in Lynemouth Road, Ellington, Morpeth NE61 5HN and serves Ellington, Lynmouth and the surrounding area.
It came into service around 1979 to replace an earlier exchange in Cresswell Road.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-86.
Its former dialling code was 067 086.
ID: NELM. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Lynemouth former ATE
The former Lynemouth telephone exchange is in Cresswell Road, Ellington, Morpeth NE61 5HR.
It came into service in the early 1930s as an RAX6. It closed around 1979 when it was replaced by the current exchange. It is now the HQ of the Northumbria Amateur Radio Club.
Its former dialling code was 067 086.
ID: NELM. Picture courtesy of QRZ.com
Morpeth ATE
Photo taken in 1963
Photo taken in 2024
Morpeth telephone exchange is situated in Newgate Street, Morpeth NE61 1BY and serves Morpeth and the surrounding area.
It came into service on 31 May 1963 and underwent a significant extension to the left of the original building in 1971.
The Ministry of Public Building and Works architect was Thomas Fred Winterburn, Assistant Architect to the Ministry’s Chief Architect, Eric Bedford.
It replaced a manual exchange which opened in the former post office in 1907.
Its former dialling code was 0670.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01670-50, 01670-51, 01670-533 and 01670-534.
ID: NEMP. Photos courtesy of Richard Moran and BT Archives.
Red Row ATE
Red Row telephone exchange is situated in The Parks (B1330), South Broomhill, Morpeth NE65 9RP and serves Broomhill, Hadston, South Broomhill and the surrounding area.
It came into service in the spring of 1979 to replace a UAX (location unknown to us).
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-76.
Its former dialling code was 067 083.
ID: NERD. Photo courtesy of Graham Robson.
Scots Gap ATE
Scots Gap telephone exchange is located on the B6343 in Scots Gap, Morpeth NE61 4EF and serves Scots Gap and the surrounding area.
The first auto exchange here was a UAX 12 which opened in the mid-1930s.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-774.
Its former dialling code was 067 074.
ID: NESG. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Stannington ATE
Stannington telephone exchange (the original building is shown on the right) is located in The Limes, Stannington, Morpeth NE61 6HP and serves Stannington and the surrounding area.
It came into service around 1937 as a UAX 12 to replace a manual exchange opened in April 1926.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01670-789.
Its former dialling code was 067 089.
ID: NESGT. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Ulgham ATE
Ulgham telephone exchange is situated just off the B1337 in Widdrington, Morpeth NE61 5PN and serves Stobswood, Widdrington, Widdrington Station and the surrounding area.
It came into service in 1980 to replace a UAX in Ulgham, when lines became Morpeth 790*** numbers.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-79.
Its former dialling code was 067 084.
ID: NEULM. Photo courtesy of Jake Thomas.
Ulgham former ATE
The former Ulgham telephone exchange is located in Main Road, Ulgham, Morpeth NE61 3AW.
It came into service as an RAX5 in the early 1930s. The village is pronounced “Uffam”, and the GPO claimed operators found it confusing, but villagers successfully defeated a move in 1950 to change the name of the exchange. It closed in 1980 (when the name was finally changed) and it is now a a healthcare business.
Its former dialling code was 067 084.
ID: NEULM. Photo courtesy of Graham Robson.
Whalton ATE
Whalton telephone exchange is situated on the B6524 in Whalton, Morpeth NE61 3UT and serves Whalton and the surrounding area.
The first auto exchange here was a UAX 12 which was opened on 12 May 1937.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01670-775.
Its former dialling code was 067 075.
ID: NEULM. Photo courtesy of Richard Moran.
Other Former Morpeth Exchanges
- Hepscott Former ExchangeThe former Hepscott telephone exchange latterly stood in the grounds of Ashgrove Hose, Hepscott, Morpeth NE61 6LN. It came into service in the mid-1930s as a UAX12, replacing a manual exchange opened in 1913, and closed on 26 March 1968 when lines were taken over by Morpeth exchange. It was demolished in 2024. Its dialling code was 067 073.
- Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Former ExchangeThis exchange had the code of 067 085 and subscribers were transferred to the Ashington exchange when it closed.