The nine (and five former) BT Telephone Exchanges in the Stamford (01780) telephone area
Bainton ATE
Bulwick ATE
Castle Bytham ATE
Castle Bytham ATE
Article taken from Geograph written by Bob Harvey in 2014
I installed the STD Strowger equipment at the Castle Bytham exchange in 1971, one of the last installations in the UK. The building was doubled in length then – you can see the different roof line. Up until that point it had contained little except connection frames for the cables, no serious switches. It later became one of the Small Electronic exchange installations, a technology that BT refused to abbreviate in the normal manner. The interior was revamped again then. Afterwards it became System X and is now 21st Century Network (21CN). So all calls from here are IP, like most of the UK. The building also houses the equipment for broadband access using ADSL2. FTTC had not yet reached the village at the time of writing.
At some point in the upgrade between System X and 21CN the building was actually made around 2 feet wider. The extension on the northern side followed the 1950s design with kicked out eaves, although they could not match the grooved brick originally used.
Castle Bytham former ATE
The first auto exchange here stood on the site of the current exchange in Station Road, Castle Bytham, Peterborough NG33 4SB.
It opened as a UAX12 on 21 August 1937 in an A-type building faced with local stone. The original building was replaced in the 1950s.
It did not have a national dialling code.
ID: EMCABYT. Photo courtesy of BT Archives.
Duddington ATE
Empingham ATE
ID: EMEMPIN. Photo courtesy of Ashley Brown.
Empingham former ATE
ID: EMEMPIN. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Thacker.
Kings Cliffe ATE
Kings Cliffe former ATE
The first auto exchange here stood on the site of the current exchange in Kings Cliffe Road, Kings Cliffe, Peterborough PE8 6XL.
It opened as an RAX5 in January 1932 in an A-type building faced with local stone.
It was later replaced by a UAX12 exchange and the original building has since been demolished.
It did not have a national dialling code.
ID: EMKCLIF. Photo courtesy of BT Archives.
North Luffenham ATE
North Luffenham former ATE
Stamford ATE
Stamford Telephone Exchange is located in Foundry Road, Stamford PE9 2PP and serves Belmesthorpe, Easton On The Hill, Essendine, Great Casterton, Little Casterton, Ryhall, Stamford, Tickencote, Tinwell and Uffington.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01780.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 0780.
ID: EMSTMFD. Photo courtesy of Ashley Brown.
Wansford ATE
Wansford Telephone Exchange is located in Nene Close, Wansford, Peterborough PE8 6JJ and serves Wansford and surrounding villages.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01780-78.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 078 088.
ID: EMWSFRD. Photo courtesy of Ashley Brown.
Wansford former ATE
The former Wansford Telephone Exchange housed a UAX13 and is located in Peterborough Road, Wansford, Peterborough PE8 6JN, it served Wansford and surrounding villages.
The former dialling code for this exchange was 078 088.
ID: EMWSFRD. Photo required.