Postal addresses: a little history and a lot of photos

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SE

The SE postcode area is one of the eight covering London and of course therefore stands for Southeast. 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.

In the case of SE, there are two alphabetical cycles – from 2 to 18 and from 20 to 27. The SE28 area was created for the modern Thamesmead development, and the same sort of situation may have been the case for Norwood, SE19, which is similarly incorrectly positioned alphabetically.

Those original names are noted below in brackets.

All districts have the postal address LONDON.
SE1
SE2 (Abbey Wood)
SE3 (Blackheath)
SE4 (Brockley)
SE5 (Camberwell)


SE6 (Catford)
SE7 (Charlton)
SE8 (Deptford)
SE9 (Eltham)
SE10 (Greenwich)


SE11 (Kennington)
SE12 (Lee)
SE13 (Lewisham)
SE14 (New Cross)
SE15 (Peckham)


SE16 (Rotherhithe)
SE17 (Walworth)
SE18 (Woolwich)
SE19 (Norwood)


SE20 (Anerley)
SE21 (Dulwich)
SE22 (East Dulwich)
SE23 (Forest Hill)
SE24 (Herne Hill)


SE25 (South Norwood)
SE26 (Sydenham)
SE27 (West Norwood)
SE28 (Thamesmead)

SG

The letters SG are based on Stevenage and this postcode area extends to eastern Bedfordshire as well as covering the bulk of Hertfordshire.

SG1-2 – postal address STEVENAGE, Herts.
SG3 – postal address KNEBWORTH, Herts.
SG4-5 – postal address HITCHIN, Herts.


SG6 – postal address LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY, Herts. (plain LETCHWORTH until 2003)
SG7 – postal address BALDOCK, Herts.
SG8 – postal address ROYSTON, Herts.
SG9 – postal address BUNTINGFORD, Herts.
SG10 – postal address MUCH HADHAM, Herts.


SG11-12 – postal address WARE, Herts.
SG13-14 – postal address HERTFORD


SG15 – postal address ARLESEY, Beds.
SG16 – postal address HENLOW, Beds.
SG17 – postal address SHEFFORD, Beds.
SG18 – postal address BIGGLESWADE, Beds.
SG19 – postal address SANDY, Beds.

SK

The letters SK derive from Stockport and the area covers southeastern Greater Manchester, northeast Cheshire and northern Derbyshire. The STOCKPORT post town area used to extend rurally towards Chapel-en-le-Frith until that area of the Peaks was made a post town in its own right, HIGH PEAK.

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

SK1-7 – postal address STOCKPORT, Cheshire



SK8 – postal address CHEADLE, Cheshire
SK9 (part) – postal address WILMSLOW, Cheshire
SK9 (part) – postal address ALDERLEY EDGE, Cheshire
SK10-11 – postal address MACCLESFIELD, Cheshire
SK12 – postal address STOCKPORT, Cheshire (again)


SK13 – postal address GLOSSOP, Derbyshire
SK14 – postal address HYDE, Cheshire
SK15 – postal address STALYBRIDGE, Cheshire
SK16 – postal address DUKINFIELD, Cheshire


SK17 – postal address BUXTON, Derbyshire
SK22-23 – postal address HIGH PEAK, Derbyshire (part of STOCKPORT, Cheshire, SK12 until July 1996)

SL

SL is based on Slough and this small postcode area includes the southern extremity of Buckinghamshire as well as the towns in east Berkshire. It has the relatively unusual distinction of having a zero area, SL0.

SL0 – postal address IVER, Bucks.
SL1-3 – postal address SLOUGH
SL4 – postal address WINDSOR, Berks.


SL5 – postal address ASCOT, Berks.
SL6 – postal address MAIDENHEAD, Berks.
SL7 – postal address MARLOW, Bucks.
SL8 – postal address BOURNE END, Bucks.
SL9 – postal address GERRARDS CROSS, Bucks.


There is also the non-geographic postcode district for Royal Mail, SL95 (post town SLOUGH).

SM

The SM area is based on Sutton and the 'M' can be explained in that the letters actually refer to Sutton and Merton, the latter a London Borough largely covered by this area.

NB Within Greater London, the old county names retained for postal purposes in those parts outside the London postal area. Therefore, Surrey remains the correct county name postally.

SM1-3 – postal address SUTTON, Surrey


SM4 – postal address MORDEN, Surrey
SM5 – postal address CARSHALTON, Surrey
SM6 – postal address WALLINGTON, Surrey
SM7 – postal address BANSTEAD, Surrey

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