From what I read, there was a manual telephone exchange in Stowey from 1926, but this building was not built until 1930 when the first automatic exchange was installed and in use by September of that year. I assume this automatic exchange required mains electricity, as it was only in the late 1920s that electricity came to Stowey. I think the previous manual exchange operated using batteries, charged with a small generator.
I don't know where the manual exchange was from 1926 to 1930.



However, even in 1930 it was only the eastern side of the current building, with the hipped roof that was built. This can be seen in the 1947 photo (just behind the timber building which I believe was the old scout hut).


The second section was probably built in the 1950s due to the increased telephone use in the area. This date is based on the style of the roof in particular which was common to many of the rural exchanges built in the 1950s, along with evidence from photos of 1947 when it was not there, and 1960s when it was!


The telephone exchange was moved to Banneson road in 1978, and the then vacant building became the local veterinary surgery in the early 1980s.
I wonder if it was at that time that the front was amended with changes to the windows and entrance door - I doubt the old exchange building would have had that frontage.

The maps from 1840 and later show there was nothing on this site before the telephone exchange, but in the early 1750 illustrative map, it does look as if there was a small structure in this vicinity, but I don't know what that was.


 
1840 tithe map (left)                                  1880 map (right)


1750 illustrative map