The twenty BT Telephone Exchanges (and eight former) in the Oxford (01865) telephone area
The exchanges near the centre of Oxford originally had the STD code of 0092, before changing to 0865 in 1968.
The outer ring of exchanges originally had the STD code of 0096, before changing to 0867 in 1968.
Both parts of Oxford then took the STD code of 01865 in 1995.
A Brief History of the Telephone in Oxford
1877: Oxford’s first two telephones were installed, with lines from the Telegraph Office in Mill Street, Osney to (1) the Post Office, which was then still at the Old Town Hall in St Aldate’s and (2) 48 Cornmarket Street, the home and shop of the cutler George J. Neill who was the engineer to the Oxford Volunteer Fire Brigade, who had a line to the Fire Brigade office in New Inn Hall Street.
1879 In September The Edison Telephone Company gave notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal of its intention to open a telephone exchange in Oxford, but it appears not to have had enough response to make the enterprise worthwhile.
1885: By 17 October the reservoir-keeper’s cottage at Headington had been connected by telephone to the pumping station at Hinksey, enabling the level of water to be regulated.
1886: The South of England Telephone Company Ltd opened Oxford’s first exchange at 54 Cornmarket Street. In March that year it was proposed to establish telephonic communication between the lodges of all the Oxford colleges, but there were protests against disfiguring Oxford by a system of overhead wires.
1889: There were 55 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
1890: The South of England Telephone Company was taken over by the National Telephone Company.
1895: A second Exchange, the Post Office Trunk exchange, opened in Oxford, and the National Telephone Company moved to an upstairs room over the ‘Domestic Bazaar’ at 5 and 6 Magdalen Street. There were now 95 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
1899: There were 111 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
1912: The Post Office Trunk Exchange took over the National Telephone Company.
1923: A new central Oxford telephone exchange opened in Pembroke Street.
1924: There were 1,090 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
1928: Cowley and Headington exchanges opened.
1929: Summertown telephone exchange opened.
1934: There were 1,987 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
1959: New exchanges at Oxford and Headington were opened.
1963: STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling) services started in Oxford.
1977: There were 11,520 telephone subscribers in Oxford.
Berinsfield former ATE
Boars Hill ATE
Charlton on Otmoor ATE
ID: SMCHO. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Clifton Hampden ATE
Cowley ATE
ID: SMCO. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Cumnor ATE
ID: SMCNR. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Eynsham ATE
Eynsham telephone exchange is located in Queens Lane, Eynsham, Witney OX29 4HL and serves Cassington, Eynsham, Stanton Harcourt and Sutton.
Previously Eynsham exchange was situated in Queen Street, Eynsham, it has since been demolished.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01865-88.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0096 8, which then changed to 0867 8 in 1968.
ID: SMEY. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Frilford Heath ATE
Frilford Heath Telephone Exchange is located in Faringdon Road, Frilford Heath, Abingdon OX13 6QJ.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01865-390.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0096 39, which then changed to 0867 39 in 1968.
ID: SMFH. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Garsington ATE
ID: SMGN. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Golden Balls ATE
ID: SMNHM. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Headington ATE
Headington former ATE
The former Headington Telephone Exchange stood at 2 Lime Walk, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DZ. It came into service in December 1928 as part of the Oxford linked numbering scheme with the number range Headington 6800-6999.
It closed on 25 April 1959 when it was replaced by the current Headington exchange. It later became part of a mail sorting office. It was demolished around 2005 and replaced by a block of flats called Lime Tree Mews.
ID: SMHD. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Jenkins
Kidlington ATE
ID: SMKI . Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Longworth ATE
Longworth former ATE
Marcham ATE
Nuneham Courtenay former ATE
Oxford Central ATE
Oxford Central former ATE
The former Oxford automatic exchange was at 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP. It was built in and behind the former Leaden Porch Hall Inn and came into service at midnight on 12 December 1926 serving 1600 lines with the numbering range 2000-3599. It closed on 25 April 1959 when it was replaced by the current exchange in Speedwell Street. It is now the home of The Story Museum.
Oxford former Manual Exchange 1
The first Oxford telephone exchange was above a bank at 54 Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 3HB (the two bays on the left of this photograph). It was opened on 17 February 1886 by the South of England Telephone Company. It closed in 1895 when the exchange was moved to Magdalen Street.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Jenkins
Oxford former Manual Exchange 2
The second Oxford manual telephone exchange was on the upper floors of 5-6 (now 7 and 7A) Magdalen Street, Oxford OX1 3AD. The first lease on the premises was taken out by the National Telephone Company in 1895. The magneto switchboard was on the first storey. By 1922 the floors of the building were in danger of collapsing and had to be shored up. The exchange closed on 11 December 1926 when it was replaced by the Pembroke Street ATE.
Photo courtesy of Jaggery.
Stadhampton ATE
Standlake ATE
Stanton St John ATE
Summertown ATE
Warborough ATE
Wheatley ATE
