CONTENTS

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE A TYPICAL BT MODERN EXCHANGE

Ashfield Exchange is located in Fox Hollies Road, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Ashfield ATE serves subscribers in Walmley and Minworth and also some parts of Pype Hayes, Erdington. Ashfield was enabled for ADSL on 27 August 2003.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-313 and 0121-351 ID: CMASHF.

Beacon Area Telephone Exchange is located in Whitecrest, Great Barr, Birmingham and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Beacon ATE serves parts of Pheasey, Great Barr and Kingstanding. Beacon was converted to a System X digital exchange at 6.30 am on Tuesday 16th March 1993.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-325, 0121-360 and 0121-366. ID: CMBEAC.

Erdington Area Telephone Exchange is located in Sutton New Road, Erdington, Birmingham and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Erdington ATE also serves some parts of Boldmere, Kingstanding, New Oscott and Wylde Green.

The photo shows the modern building at the rear, but the oldest part of the building dates back to 1934.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-306(?), 0121-350, 0121-373, 0121-377, 0121-382, 0121-384 & 0121-386. ID: CMERD.

The local exchange to my shop is Four Oaks in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It started life in 1911 being named Mere Green and was a small magneto exchange with the equipment hung on the wall of a cottage in Mere Green, which is part of Four Oaks. It was renamed Four Oaks the following year but was then closed in 1921 and it's subscribers were transferred to the Sutton Coldfield exchange. 

In 1932 the Four Oaks exchange opened in a new building (pictured above) in Lichfield Road, with six operators and 450 lines. By 1964 the exchange had grown by eight times that size and had the distinction of being Birmingham's last remaining manual switchboard.

At 8.30 a.m. on Saturday 14th November 1964 the new Four Oaks telephone exchange opened in new premises (pictured below) about half a mile down the road at 238A Lichfield Road, where the exchange is still in current use today. The old building is now used as commercial offices.

The Four Oaks ATE serves subscribers in the Bassetts Pole, Canwell, Four Oaks, Ley Hill, Little Sutton, Mere Green, Middleton, Roughley and Shenstone Wood End areas of Sutton Coldfield. The number ranges currently used are 0121-308 and 0121-323. ID: CMFOU.

Great Barr Area Telephone Exchange is located in Birmingham Road, Great Barr, Birmingham and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Great Barr ATE also serves parts of Hamstead, Perry Barr and Walsall.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-357 and 0121-358. ID: CMGREB.

My local telephone exchange Rectory, in Rectory Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. Rectory was opened in February 1976 and was the first TXE4RD (Rectory Design) exchange to be put into service. The TXE4 went on to become the standard for all electronic exchanges.

The TXE4 was manufactured by Standard Telephones & Cables plc (STC) to gradually replace Strowger & Crossbar exchanges, the TXE4 could handle between 3,000 & 40,000 lines. The TXE4 was a modern switching system, which was based on a matrix containing hundreds of reed-relay switches which were controlled by micro-processors to route telephone traffic. 

    Important Dates in the History of Rectory Exchange

• 1966 - Rectory 021-329 first appeared as part of the Sutton Coldfield exchange.

• 1973 - 021-329 were changed to 021-354 numbers as part of the S/C grouping.

• 1976 - The Rectory electronic exchange was opened with the 021-378 code.

• 1978 - The 021-329 number range was added to Rectory.

• 1988 - 021-311 appeared as a DOL Digital Overlay exchange.

• 1994 - 021-378 & 329 numbers were converted to System X at 7.00 am on Tuesday 13th September.

The Rectory ATE covers the  Falcoln Lodge, New Hall, North Walmley, Rectory, Reddicap Heath, and Whitehouse Common areas of Sutton Coldfield. It also serves Good Hope Hospital. The number ranges currently used are 0121-311, 0121-329 and 0121-378. Rectory was enabled for ADSL on 03 September 2003. ID:CMREC.

Streetly Area Telephone Exchange is located in Hardwick Road, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Streetly ATE also serves some parts of Four Oaks & Kingstanding.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-352, 0121-353 and part 0121-580. ID: CMSTRE.

Sutton Coldfield Exchange is located in Station Street, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands and is part of the Birmingham Director area. Sutton Coldfield ATE serves subscribers in Sutton Coldfield and Boldmere and some parts of Wylde Green, New Oscott and Kingstanding.

The number ranges currently used are 0121-321, 0121-354 and 0121-355. ID: CMSUT.

For further information on the Birmingham Director area,  see the section on old dialling codes.

Burntwood Area Telephone Exchange is located in New Road, Burntwood, Staffs. and is part of the Lichfield Telephone area. Burntwood ATE serves the areas of Boney Hay, Burntwood, Cannock Wood, Chasetown, Chase Terrace and Hammwerwich.

The number ranges currently used are 01543-67 and 01543-68. ID: CMBNW.

Lichfield Area Telephone Exchange is located in Friary Road, Lichfield, Staffs. and is part of the Lichfield Telephone area. Lichfield ATE serves the areas of Boley Park, Elmhurst, Lichfield, Streethay and part of Fradley

The number ranges currently used are 01543-25, 01543-26, 01543-41 and 01543-44. ID: CMLIC.

Shenstone Area Telephone Exchange is located at the bottom of Doctors Lane, Shenstone, Staffs. and is part of the Lichfield Telephone area. Shenstone ATE serves the villages of Shenstone, Chesterfield, Footherley, Hilton, Wall, Little Hay, Swinfen, Weeford and Hints. Shenstone was enabled for ADSL on 20 April 2005.

The number ranges currently used are 01543-48 0/1/2/3/4. ID: CMSHE.

Whittington Area Telephone Exchange is located in Chapel Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, Staffs. and is part of the Lichfield Telephone area. Whittington ATE serves the areas of Fisherwick, Whittington and Whittington Barracks.

The number ranges currently used are 01543-43. ID: CMWHY.

Forest Hill Exchange is located in Waldram Park Road, Forest Hill, South London and was built in 1934 with an extension added around 1962. Forest Hill is part of the London Director area and is a Marconi designed System X Processor Exchange. Forest Hill also serves the Grove Park, Dulwich and Rushey Green Concentrator Exchanges.

The number ranges currently used are 020-8290, 020-8291 and 020-8699.

Sydenham Exchange is located in Crystal Palace Park Road, Sydenham, South London and was built in 1928 with an extension added in the sixties. Forest Hill is part of the London Director area and is a Processor only Exchange containing both System X and System Y (AXE10) equipment. The Sydenham Concentrators are served by the Croydon Processor Exchange.

Sydenham serves subscribers in the Sydenham, Penge and Crystal Palace districts of South London. The number ranges currently used are 020-8659 and 020-8778. 

My grateful thanks to BT Archives for some of the information used on this page.

[Home]  [Telephones]  [Systems]  [TAMs]  [Kiosks]  [Labels]  [Misc.]  [Links]  [A-Z]