Historical version 6 of Telephone Area Code For London (view current version)
History
Before 1989, there was one dialling code for London: 01, plain and simple. Admittedly getting particular numbers allocated was a pain, but it was due to overcrowding in the number range that the numbers were split into inner and outer London. (See the page Locale Docklands for a reference to this.)
From 1989, the dialling codes changed FOUR times:
| Date | Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1989 | 01 | |
| 1989 to 1992 | 071 and 081 | |
| 1992 to 1994 | 0171 and 0181 | National codes were all changed to add 1 after the 0 |
| 1994 to 1997 | 020 with 7 or 8. | Introductory period - the previous dialling codes continued to work. Local numbers were still dialled as 7 digits, e.g. 123 4567 |
| 1997 to present | 020 |
In 1997, the exchange codes were properly reorganised to be 4 digits long, with the local number 8 digits long. It is no longer possible to determine the location of a subscriber within London based on the area code.
It can be a good indicator of how long a firm has been in business if it has a sign using one of the older dialling code conventions (and also of how much they care about their frontage).