An introduction to UK Local Dialling Codes
as they were until the late 1970's

Local page of Bishop's Stortford DCB  
 
If we re-arrange the list into numeric order a pattern begins to emerge:  
 
Code
 
no. only Bishop's Stortfordthe Bishop's Stortford linked numbering scheme. The three exchanges for which this booklet was produced.
no. only#nStansted  6 figure nos
no. only#nTakeley  6 figure nos
 
6 Harlow the Bishop's Stortford dependant exchanges.
 
++++ note re their DCB's.
71#o Stansted  4 figure nos
72 Sawbridgeworth
73#o Takeley  3 figure nos
74 Albury
75 Henham
76 White Roding
77 Hatfield Heath
78 Brent Pelham
79 Roydon
70 Hatfield Broad Oak
82 Matching
83 Fair Green
84 Much Hadham
85 Mountfitchet
 
91 Epping part of the Hoddesdon Charge Group. One charge group but two STD codes. Most of the London Director Fringe groups were split in this way.
91 81 Theydon Bois
91 82 North Weald
 
91 90#o Moreton Brentwood dependants accessed via Epping. But will be accessed via Brentwood when it goes auto.
91 92#o Ongar
 
91 93*#o Brentwood still a manual exchange but apparently with no direct line to Bishop's Stortford. Its dependants were probably all automatic and the code list does its best to find dialling routes to them.
91 93*#o Blackmore Brentwood dependants inaccessible except via the Brentwood operator.
The list does not show these as going on to 972 when Brentwood goes auto. This is just a simplification but it implies that these exchanges will be renumbered to 6 and 5 figures before Brentwood goes auto.
91 93*#o Coxtie Green
91 93*#o Herongate Brentwood dependants inaccessible except via the Brentwood operator.
91 93*#o Horndon Green
 
92 Hertford Waltham Cross dependant with direct line to Bishop's Stortford.
92 836 Bayford via Hertford
 
93 Ware part of the Knebworth Charge Group
93 83 Watton-at-Stone
93 84 Dane End
93 87* Stanstead Abbotts
 
94 Great Dunmow a tidy Charge Group and code group all accessed via its centre.
94 81 Great Bardfield
94 82 Felsted
94 83 Thaxted
94 84 Great Easton
94 85 Shalford Green
94 86 Stebbing
 
95#o Newport Saffron Walden dependant with direct line to Bishop's Stortford. But the line is going to be discontinued.
96#o Fyfield Brentwood dependant with direct line to Bishop's Stortford. Line will be discontinued when Brentwood goes auto.
 
970 Waltham Cross the other part of the Hoddesdon Charge Group
970 4 Hoddesdon
970 89 Nazeing
 
971 Saffron Walden Charge Group and code group due to be all accessed via its centre.
971 82#n Newport
971 83 Great Chesterford
971 84 Ashdon
971 85#n Clavering
971 86 Great Sampford
971 87 Radwinter
971 88#n Rickling
 
972 #n Brentwood codes for use when Brentwood goes auto.
972 6 #n Ongar
972 83#n Moreton
972 85#n Fyfield
972 87#n Herongate
972 88#n Horndon Green
 
0277 4 Billericay Brentwood dependant accessed via STD. Suggests the existence of some automatic kit already installed in Brentwood. Apparently not going to go on to 972 4 when Brentwood goes auto.
 
973 Chelmsford Charge Group and code group all accessed via its centre.
973 21 Springmead the Chelmsfrod dependants. Having them on levels 2 & 3 was unusual.
973 22 Danbury
973 23 Great Oxney
973 24 Writtle
973 25 Broomfield
973 26 Little Waltham
973 27 Roxwell
973 28 Boreham
973 29 Hanningfield
973 31 Good Easter
973 33 Terling
973 34 Great Leighs
973 35 Woodham Ferrers
973 37 Pleshey
973 39 Hatfield Peverel
 
973 964 Ingatestone Brentwood dependants accessed via Chelmsford
973 972 Stock
973 973 Willingale
 
974#o Clavering Saffron Walden dependants with direct lines to Bishop's Stortford. But the lines are going to be discontinued.
975#o Rickling
 
978 Royston another tidy Charge Group and code group all accessed via its centre.
978 81 Cottered
978 82 Fowlmere
978 83 Chrishall
978 84 Barkway
978 85 Steeple Morden
978 86 Melbourn
978 87 Kelshall
978 88 Broadfield
978 89 Great Hormead
978 80 Buntingford
 
979 Stevenage the other part of the Knebworth Charge Group
979 #n Kimpton  6 figure nos
979 7 Welwyn
979 81 Knebworth
979 82 Codicote
979 83#o Kimpton  3 figure nos
979 84 Tewin
979 85 Benington
979 86 Walkern
979 87 Whitwell
979 88 Shephall
 
99 Emergency Operatoronly two digits would be needed when dialling from Bishop's Stortford. The extra 9 was needed for the Bishop's Stortford dependants to reach BS.
 
100* Beaumont apart from Navestock which is a village near Brentwood, these look like made up names. I suspect these four were all relief (mobile) exchanges in green vans parked in the yard of Brentwood exchange or other exchanges in the Brentwood Charge Group. The Bishop's Stortford operator could probably dial them directly but on a code that was not suitable for publication, eg. level 1 of the exchange used for Billericay.
100* Farmland
100* Millwood
100* Navestock
 
 
*For these exchanges dial the code only and ask the operator for the number
#oCode due to be made obsolete during the lifetime of the booklet
#nCode due to be introduced during the lifetime of the booklet
 
 
Albury 74
Ashdon 971 84
Barkway 978 84
Bayford 928 36
Beaumont 100*
Benington 979 85
Billericay 02774
Bishop's Stortford Dial number only
Blackmore 9193*#o
Boreham 973 28
Brent Pelham 78
Brentwood 9193*#o
Brentwood 972#n
Broadfield 978 88
Broomfield 973 25
Buntingford 978 80
Chelmsford 973
Chrishall 978 83
Clavering 974#o
Clavering 971 85#n
Codicote 979 82
Cottered 978 81
Coxtie Green 9193*#o
Danbury 973 22
Dane End 9384
Epping 91
Fair Green 83
Farmland 100*
Felsted 9482
Fowlmere 978 82
Fyfield 96#o
Fyfield 972 85#n
Good Easter 973 31
Great Bardfield 9481
Great Chesterford 971 83
Great Dunmow 94
Great Easton 9484
Great Hormead 978 89
Great Leighs 973 34
Great Oxney 973 23
Great Sampford 971 86
Hanningfield 973 29
Harlow 6
Hatfield Broad Oak 70
Hatfield Heath 77
Hatfield Peverel 973 39
Henham 75
Herongate 9193*#o
Herongate 972 87#n
Hertford 92
Hoddesdon 9704
Horndon Green 9193*#o
Horndon Green 972 88#n
Ingatestone 973 964
Kelshall 978 87
Kimpton  3 figure nos979 83#o
Kimpton  6 figure nos979#n
Knebworth 979 81
Little Waltham 973 26
Matching 82
Melbourn 978 86
Millwood 100*
Moreton 9190#o
Moreton 972 83#n
Mountfitchet 85
Much Hadham 84
Navestock 100*
Nazeing 970 89
Newport 95#o
Newport 971 82#n
North Weald 9182
Ongar 9192#o
Ongar 9726#n
Pleshey 973 37
Radwinter 971 87
Rickling 975#o
Rickling 971 88#n
Roxwell 973 27
Roydon 79
Royston 978
Saffron Walden 971
Sawbridgeworth 72
Shalford Green 9485
Shephall 979 88
Springmead 973 21
Stanstead Abbotts 9387*
Stansted  4 figure nos71#o
Stansted  6 figure nosDial number only#n
Stebbing 9486
Steeple Morden 978 85
Stevenage 979
Stock 973 972
Takeley  3 figure nos73#o
Takeley  6 figure nos Dial number only#n
Terling 973 33
Tewin 979 84
Thaxted 9483
Theydon Bois 9181
Walkern 979 86
Waltham Cross 970
Ware 93
Watton-at-Stone 9383
Welwyn 9797
White Roding 76
Whitwell 979 87
Willingale 973 973
Woodham Ferrers 973 35
Writtle 973 24