The ten BT Telephone Exchanges (and two former) in the Shepton Mallet (01749) telephone area
Bruton ATE
Bruton telephone exchange is located in Higher Backway, Bruton BA10 0DP and also serves an area including Pitcome, Redlynch, Shepton Montague and Wyke Champflower.
It came into service in March 1939, replacing a manual exchange.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-81.
Its former dialling code was 074 981.
ID: SSBRU. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Cranmore ATE
Cranmore telephone exchange is located in Piers Road, West Cranmore, Shepton Mallet BA4 4QH and also serves an area including Chelynch, Chesterblade, Doulting, Downhead, East Cranmore and Waterlip.
The first auto exchange here was an RAX5 – the first of its kind in the South West of England – which came into service in May 1929. Like the manual exchange it replaced, it was known until 1937 as West Cranmore. The present building may date to 1953, when the RAX5 was replaced.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-88.
Its former dialling code was 074 988.
ID: SSCRA. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Ditcheat ATE
Ditcheat telephone exchange is located in Wraxall Road, Ditcheat, Shepton Mallet BA4 6RB and also serves an area including Wraxhall and Alhampton.
It came into service in 1938 to replace a manual exchange opened in 1925. In 1979, villagers fought plans to build a new exchange behind the neighbouring village hall. The plan was dropped and the present exchange was converted from Strowger to digital working in 1993.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-86.
Its former dialling code was 074 986.
ID: SSDIT. Photo courtesy of Neil Owen.
Evercreech ATE
Evercreech telephone exchange is situated behind the village hall in High Street, Evercreech, Shepton Mallet BA4 6HZ and also serves an area including Evercreech Junction, Prestleigh and Stoney Stratton.
Costing £102,000, it came into service at 1pm on 26 October 1978. It replaced the village’s first auto exchange (location unknown) which opened on 19 August 1953.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-83.
Its former dialling code was 074 983.
ID: SSEVE. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Oakhill ATE
Oakhill telephone exchange is located in the High Street, Oakhill, Radstock BA3 5AL and also serves an area including Stoke St Michael and Nettlebridge.
It came into service in February 1979 when lines became Oakhill 840*** numbers, replacing the UAX in Bath Road.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-84.
Its former dialling code was 0749.
ID: SSOAK. Photo courtesy of Stuart Arnold.
Oakhill former ATE
The former Oakhill telephone exchange is situated behind, and to the right of, the pictured bus shelter in Bath Road, Oakhill, Radstock BA3 5AF.
It came into service around 1951, replacing a manual exchange opened in the post office about 1908. It ceased operation in February 1979 and now stands on the grounds of a house called The Old Telephone Exchange.
Its former dialling code was 074 984.
ID: SSOAK. Photo courtesy of Neil Owen.
Pilton ATE
Pilton telephone exchange is located in Totterdown Lane, Pilton, Shepton Mallet BA4 4NY and also serves an area including West Compton, North Wootton and Sticklinch.
It came into service around 1947, replacing a manual exchange. STD became available on 4 March 1971.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-89.
Its former dialling code was 074 989.
ID: SSPLT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Priddy ATE
Priddy telephone exchange is located in Top Road, Westbury Sub Mendip, Wells BA5 1HY and serves an area including Westbury, Priddy, Rodney Stoke and Easton.
Planning permission was granted for the building in 1978, to replace the former UAX in Wells Road.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-87.
Its former dialling code was 0749.
ID: SSPRI. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Priddy former ATE
The former Priddy telephone exchange is in the grounds of Torlea, Wells Road, Westbury Sub Mendip, Wells BA5 1EX. It is now privately owned.
It came into service on Wednesday 23 April 1952, replacing an RAX5 exchange (location unknown) which opened on 16 August 1932. STD became available on 9 March 1971.
Its former dialling code was 074 987.
ID: SSPRI. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.
Shepton Mallet ATE
Shepton Mallet telephone exchange is located at 15 Paul Street, Shepton Mallet BA4 5LD and also serves an area including East Compton, Croscombe, Windsor Hill and Downside.
Costing £106,000, it came into service at 2pm on 26 August 1954, replacing a manual exchange. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mrs H Beams who had been the first operator when the town’s original manual exchange opened at 45 High Street in 1906.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01749-3.
Its former dialling code was 0749.
ID: SSSHM. Photo taken in 1954, courtesy of BT Archives.
This exchange is scheduled to cease operation in December 2030 and close by June 2031.
Upton Noble ATE
Upton Noble telephone exchange is located in Hincombe Hill, Upton Noble, Shepton Mallet BA4 6AR and also serves an area including Batcombe, Wanstrow and North Brewham.
The first exchange here came into service as an RAX5 on 17 March 1931.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01749-85.
Its former dialling code was 074 985.
ID: SSUPT. Photo courtesy of Stuart Arnold.
Wells ATE
Wells telephone exchange is located in Mountery Road, Wells BA5 2QN and also serves an area including Coxley, Dinder, the Horringtons, Wookey, Wookey Hole and Henton.
It came into service at 1.30pm on 14 July 1949, replacing a manual exchange in Broad Street and the Dinder CBS exchange. The first Wells exchange opened in 1903. A short-lived manual exchange at Coxley served a single subscriber – Robert Bowring – from about 1908 to 1913.
Wells auto exchange was extended to the rear and lines became Wells 7**** numbers in October 1971. A mobile relief exchange – St Cuthbert – also served the town from May 14 1973 till August 1974.
The telephone codes for this exchange include 01749-67 and 01749-68.
Its former dialling code was 074 97.
ID: SSWEL. Photo courtesy of David Hillas.