Postal addresses: a little history and a lot of photos

---

NN

The NN area relates to Northampton and neatly contains all of Northamptonshire's post towns. Numbering in Northampton itself is straightforward, with NN1 in the town centre, 2-5 spiralling around the suburbs and 6-7 being the northern and southern outlying villages. Numbers then continue to 18 covering the other post towns, and then WELLINGBOROUGH has the additional non-consecutive NN29 which was originally part of NN9.

NN1-7 – postal address NORTHAMPTON



NN8-9 – postal address WELLINGBOROUGH, Northants.
NN10 – postal address RUSHDEN, Northants. (separated from WELLINGBOROUGH, in May 1993)
NN11 – postal address DAVENTRY, Northants.
NN12 – postal address TOWCESTER, Northants.
NN13 – postal address BRACKLEY, Northants.



NN14-16 – postal address KETTERING, Northants.
NN17-18 – postal address CORBY, Northants.
NN29 – postal address WELLINGBOROUGH, Northants.



There is also the non-geographic postcode district for large users, NN99 (post town NORTHAMPTON).

NP

NP refers to Newport and covers the majority of Gwent plus a small part of Powys.

We have already seen that central Newport was originally given the code NPT while the other districts were numbered NP1-8, and that in 1984 that central district was re-coded to NP9 to remove the anomalous format. That explains why the city centre was not numbered 1; however, today's map of Newport postcodes looks fairly random – this is because the area was overhauled in December 1998 as follows:

• Old NP1 (NEWPORT): became NP10 and NP11 (NEWPORT);
• Old NP2 (BLACKWOOD, NEW TREDEGAR, TREDEGAR and RHYMNEY): became NP12 (BLACKWOOD), NP22 (TREDEGAR including Rhymney which ceased to be a post town) and NP24 (NEW TREDEGAR);
• Old NP3 (ABERTILLERY, BLAINA, BRYNMAWR and EBBW VALE): became NP13 (ABERTILLERY including Blaina which ceased to be a post town) and NP23 (EBBW VALE including Brynmawr likewise);
• Old NP4* (PONTYPOOL and BLAENAVON): unchanged, except that Blaenavon ceased to be a post town;
• Old NP5 (USK, RAGLAN and MONMOUTH): became NP15 (USK including Raglan which ceased to be a post town) and NP25 (MONMOUTH);
• Old NP6 (NEWPORT and CHEPSTOW): became NP18 (NEWPORT), NP26 (CALDICOT) and NP16 (CHEPSTOW);
• NP7 (ABERGAVENNY) unchanged;
• NP8 (CRICKHOWELL) unchanged;
• Old NP9 (NEWPORT): became NP19 and NP20 (NEWPORT).

* CWMBRAN had already been re-coded NP44, split from the original NP4.

At the same time, the Bedwas and Machen area of the old NP1 was transferred from NEWPORT into CAERPHILLY (CF).

NB Royal Mail ceased the requirement for county names on addresses in 1996 and these were not updated after local government reorganisation of the following year. Therefore, Gwent and Powys remain correct county names.

NP4 – postal address PONTYPOOL, Gwent
NP7 – postal address ABERGAVENNY, Gwent
NP8 – postal address CRICKHOWELL, Powys
NP10-11 – postal address NEWPORT, Gwent


NP12 – postal address BLACKWOOD, Gwent
NP13 – postal address ABERTILLERY, Gwent
NP15 – postal address USK, Gwent
NP16 – postal address CHEPSTOW, Gwent


NP18-20 – postal address NEWPORT, Gwent
NP22 – postal address TREDEGAR, Gwent
NP23 – postal address EBBW VALE, Gwent


NP24 – postal address NEW TREDEGAR, Gwent
NP25 – postal address MONMOUTH, Gwent
NP26 – postal address CALDICOT, Gwent
NP44 – postal address CWMBRAN, Gwent

NR

NR stands for Norwich and this postcode area covers central, northern and eastern Norfolk along with the northeast corner of Suffolk. The numbering follows a largely logical pattern – a clockwise spiral from Norwich city centre around the suburbs, then around the outlying villages, and finally around the various other post towns.

NR1-5 – postal address NORWICH


NR6-10 – postal address NORWICH


NR11-16 – postal address NORWICH



NR17 – postal address ATTLEBOROUGH, Norfolk
NR18 – postal address WYMONDHAM, Norfolk
NR19-20 – postal address DEREHAM, Norfolk
NR21 – postal address FAKENHAM, Norfolk


NR22 – postal address WALSINGHAM, Norfolk
NR23 – postal address WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA, Norfolk
NR24 – postal address MELTON CONSTABLE, Norfolk
NR25 – postal address HOLT, Norfolk
NR26 – postal address SHERINGHAM, Norfolk


NR27 – postal address CROMER, Norfolk
NR28 – postal address NORTH WALSHAM, Norfolk
NR29-31 – postal address GREAT YARMOUTH, Norfolk


NR32-33 – postal address LOWESTOFT, Suffolk
NR34 – postal address BECCLES, Suffolk
NR35 – postal address BUNGAY, Suffolk


There is also the non-geographic postcode district for the Department for Work & Pensions, NR99 (post town NORWICH).

NW

NW is for northwest – that is, northwest London. We have already seen that London postcode districts are numbered alphabetically, according to their 1917 name, rather than geographically – that is why they appear so randomly laid out when viewed on a map. Presumably NW11 was created subsequently, given its incorrect alphabetical position.

Those original names are noted below in brackets.

All districts have the postal address LONDON.
NW1
NW2 (Cricklewood)
NW3 (Hampstead)
NW4 (Hendon)
NW5 (Kentish Town)


NW6 (Kilburn)
NW7 (Mill Hill)
NW8 (St. John's Wood)
NW9 (The Hyde)
NW10 (Willesden)
NW11 (Golders Green)



There is also the non-geographic postcode district for PO Boxes, NW26.

OL

OL are the first two letters of Oldham: this area covers the northeast of Greater Manchester and also reaches Bacup and Todmorden. The post town TODMORDEN has the postal county Lancashire despite being in West Yorkshire.

NB In the Local Government Reorganisation of 1974, Greater Manchester was not adopted by Royal Mail and, as such, Lancashire remains the correct county name.

OL1-4 – postal address OLDHAM
OL5-7 – postal address ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, Lancs.



OL8-9 – postal address OLDHAM (again)
OL10 – postal address HEYWOOD, Lancs.
OL11-12 – postal address ROCHDALE, Lancs.


OL13 – postal address BACUP, Lancs.
OL14 – postal address TODMORDEN, Lancs.
OL15 – postal address LITTLEBOROUGH, Lancs.
OL16 – postal address ROCHDALE, Lancs. (again)


There is also the non-geographic postcode district for British Gas, OL95 (post town OLDHAM).

---

---

( Page < < prev 1 ... 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ... next >> )