01207

01207
01207
United Kingdom area code for Consett
National calling 01207
International calling +44 1207
Conservation Yes[1]
Active since 16 April 1995
Previous code(s) 0207
Number format 01207 xxxxxx
Coverage
Area served Consett
Stanley
List of United Kingdom codes

The 01207 national dialling code for Consett in the United Kingdom. The area it serves includes almost the entire former district of Derwentside. When STD codes were first introduced, Consett was assigned 0207. The current 01207 code became active as part of PhONEday on 16 April 1995. In common with all other British area codes the initial '0' is a trunk prefix that is not required when dialling Consett from abroad.

History

When STD codes were initially assigned, Consett was given the mnemonic code CO7 (corresponding to 207 on the rotary dial). With the transition to all-figure dialling which ended the practice of representing STD codes with letters in 1966, and including the trunk prefix, this became 0207.

Before STD

The exchanges were:

Exchange Opened Closed Exchange to Original STD code
Annfield Plain 18 December 1901 18 April 1972 Stanley 020 78
Burnopfield 11 February 1914 020 77
Castleside 13 February 1936 13 July 1977 Consett 020,754
Chopwell 16 September 1914 8 November 1978 Ebchester 020,751
Consett (NTC) Before or during October 1893 31 December 1911 Consett (PO)
Consett (PO) 26 April 1899 020 72
Dipton Before 31 March 1939 020,753
Ebchester 30 September 1903 020 76
Edmundbyers 16 February 1931 020,755
Lanchester 1 January 1907 020,752
Leadgate Before or during October 1893 Between January & July 1904 Consett
Rowlands Gill Before 31 March 1939 020 74
Shotley Bridge (NTC) Before or during October 1893 Between January & June 1905 Shotley Bridge (PO)
Shotley Bridge (PO) 19 January 1902 29 September 1965 Consett Not known
Stanley Before 31 March 1939 020 73
Tantobie 29 October 1913 4 November 1942 Stanley
West Stanley 18 December 1901 unknown Stanley

Changes in the 1960s and 1970s

Following the introduction of STD in 1958, most 4 digit and 3 digit exchanges were prefixed as follows; some exchanges were consolidated into others.

  • Consett – 4 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 50
  • Stanley – 4 digit numbers became 5 digits and prefixed with 3
  • Dipton 020,753 – 3 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 570
  • Burnopfield – 3 digit numbers became 5 digits and prefixed with 70
  • Ebchester 020 76 – 3 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 560
  • Lanchester – 3 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 520
  • Edmundbyers 020,755 – 3 digit numbers became 5 digits and prefixed with 55 – The original code for Edmundbyers was 020,755
  • Castleside 020,754 numbers were integrated into Consett telephone exchange and prefixed with 509: Castleside 201 became Consett 509201 (13 July 1977)
  • Chopwell 020,751 numbers were integrated into Ebchester telephone exchange and prefixed with 561: Chopwell 201 became Ebchester 561201 (8 November 1978)
  • Annfield Plain numbers were integrated into Stanley telephone exchange and prefixed with 34: Annfield Plain 201 became Stanley 34201 (18 April 1972)
  • Shotley Bridge numbers were integrated into Consett telephone exchange (29 September 1965)

Changes in the 1980s

In the 1980s a new wave of prefixes were introduced in the area code:

  • Rowlands Gill – 4 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 54
  • Stanley – 5 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 2
  • Edmundbyers – 5 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 2
  • Burnopfield – 5 digit numbers became 6 digits and prefixed with 2

In the 1980s, BT planned to rename all exchanges "Derwentside," but with many numbers crossing over into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead on Burnopfield, Rowlands Gill, and Ebchester exchanges, the idea was scrapped.

Number explosion

There has never been a number explosion in the 01207 area code, and most areas still use their original 1970s/1980s prefix except for Consett and Stanley which have introduced new numbers.

  • 21 – DDI for NHS and Derwentside Council
  • 23 – Stanley
  • 25 – Edmundbyers
  • 27 – Burnopfield
  • 28 – Stanley (introduced mid-1980s)
  • 29 – Stanley (introduced early 1990s)
  • 50 – Consett
  • 52 – Lanchester
  • 54 – Rowlands Gill
  • 56 – Ebchester
  • 57 – Dipton
  • 58 – Consett (introduced early 1990s)
  • 59 – Consett (introduced mid-1980s)
  • 60 – Cable and Wireless
  • 69 – Virgin Media Cable

Short codes

Short codes, a system of abbreviated dialling scrapped in the 1990s was as follows:

  • 4 – Rowlands Gill 02074
  • 6 – Durham 0385
  • 9 – Newcastle 0632
  • 998 – Ponteland 0661

Rowlands Gill Only

  • 8 – This was the short code to dial into other 0207 exchanges when it was a 4 digit number with area code 02074, even when Rowlands Gill was upgraded to 6 digits and area code 0207 the code remained in place until short codes were abolished nationwide.

References

  1. ↑ "The National Telephone Numbering Plan" (PDF). Ofcom. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2012.
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