United Kingdom POSTAL CODES, TOWNS and COUNTIES Unlike most countries, which use a fully numeral system, the alpha-numeric UK postal codes (in use since 1971) commence with two mnemonic (memorable) alphabetical symbols based upon the name of the principal town, city or region. county or region code town or city other towns or regions Hebrides HS Hebrides Orkney, Shetland KW Kirkwall Highlands IV Inverness Grampian AB Aberdeen Tayside DD Dundee Fife KY Kirkcaldy North Lanark FK Falkirk Perth, Kinross PH Perth Stirling Argyll PA Paisley Argyll Glasgow G Glasgow South Lanark ML Motherwell Ayrshire KA Kilmarnock Ayr Lothians EH Edinburgh Borders TD Tweed Dumfries, Galloway DG Dumfries Isle of Man IM Isle of Man Northern Ireland BT Belfast Northern Ireland Cumbria CA Carlisle Northumberland NE Newcastle Gateshead County Durham SR Sunderland County Durham DH Durham County Durham TS Teeside Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool North Yorkshire DL Darlington North Yorkshire YO York North Yorkshire HG Harrogate East Yorkshire HU Hull West Yorkshire BD Bradford West Yorkshire LS Leeds West Yorkshire HX Halifax West Yorkshire HD Huddersfield West Yorkshire WF Wakefield South Yorkshire S Sheffield Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield South Yorkshire DN Doncaster Lancashire LA Lancaster Lancashire FY Fylde Blackpool Lancashire PR Preston Lancashire BB Blackburn Lancashire BL Bolton Lancashire OL Oldham Lancashire WN Wigan Lancashire L Liverpool Manchester M Manchester Salford Cheshire SK Stockport Cheshire WA Warrington Cheshire CH Chester Birkenhead Cheshire CW Crewe Gwynedd, Clywd LL Llandudno Anglesey Powys, Dyfed, Shropshire SY Shrewsbury Aberystwyth South Powys LD Llandrindod Wells West Glamorgan, Dyfed SA Swansea Carmarthen Postal codes of UK extracted from "Daddy Why…..?" © David Foster 2016 Page 1 of 4 Glamorgan CF Cardiff Gwent NP Newport Herefordshire HR Hereford Worcestershire WR Worcester Shropshire TF Telford Staffordshire ST Stoke Stafford West Midlands WS Walsall West Midlands WV Wolverhampton West Midlands DY Dudley West Midlands B Birmingham Nottinghamshire NG Nottingham Grantham Derbyshire DE Derby Lincolnshire LN Lincoln Leicestershire LE Leicester Warwickshire CV Coventry Rugby, Warwick Cambridgeshire PE Peterborough Cambridgeshire CB Cambridge Norfolk NR Norwich Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth Suffolk IP Ipswich Harwich Essex CO Colchester Essex CM Chelmsford Essex SS Southend Gloucestershire GL Gloucester Cheltenham Wiltshire SN Swindon Wiltshire SP Salisbury Oxfordshire OX Oxford Northamptonshire NN Northampton Buckinghamshire MK Milton Keynes Bedford Bedfordshire LU Luton Dunstable Hertfordshire SG Stevenage Hertford Hertfordshire HP Harpenden Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire AL St Albans Bristol BS Bristol Somerset BA Bath Somerset TA Taunton Devon EX Exeter Devon TQ Torquay Devon PL Plymouth Cornwall TR Truro Falmouth, Penzance Dorset DT Dorset Poole, Dorchester Dorset BH Bournemouth Hampshire SO Southampton Hampshire PO Portsmouth Isle of Wight Berkshire RG Reading Basingstoke Berkshire SL Slough Maidenhead Surrey GU Guildford Surrey RH Redhill Reigate West Sussex BN Brighton East Sussex, Kent TN Tonbridge Tunbridge, Eastbourne, Hastings Kent CT Canterbury Dover, Folkestone Kent ME Medway Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester (London) Kent DA Dartford (London) Kent BR Bromley (London) Surrey CR Croydon (London) Surrey SM Sutton & Morden (London) Surrey KT Kingston (London) Essex IG Ilford Postal codes of UK extracted from "Daddy Why…..?" © David Foster 2016 Page 2 of 4 (London) Essex RM Romford (London) Hertfordshire WD Watford (London) Middlesex EN Enfield (London) Middlesex HA Harrow (London) Middlesex UB Uxbridge (London) Middlesex TW Twickenham London N north London London NW north west London London WC west central London London EC east central London London E east London London W west London London SW south west London London SE south east London In 1858, London was divided into ten postal sectors, which in 1917 were reduced to eight (omitting NE and S) and then subdivided numerically into postal districts in an apparently random fashion, unlike other major world cities which generally have a spiral numerical sequence starting in the city centre. In fact, the original London numbering generally follows the mnemonic (memorable) sequence of the first letter of the name of the principal district, as indicated in the following table. This mnemonic naming sequence is similar to that also used to convert into numerical digits the first three letters of the names of the areas served by each of London's telephone exchanges and subsequently the telephone exchanges of other major British cities. Postal codes of UK extracted from "Daddy Why…..?" © David Foster 2016 Page 3 of 4 London Postal Areas E1 A Aldgate, Stepney, Mile End, Whitechapel SE5 Cam Camberwell E2 Be Bethnal Green, Shoreditch SE6 Cat Catford, Bellingham, Hither Green E3 Bo Bow, Bromley-by-Bow, Old Ford SE7 Ch Charlton E4 Ch Chingford, Highams Park SE8 D Deptford E5 Cl Clapton SE9 E Eltham, Mottingham E6 E East Ham, Beckton SE10 G Greenwich E7 F Forest Gate, Upton Park SE11 K Kennington, Lambeth E8 Ha Hackney, Dalston SE12 Lee Lee, Grove Park E9 Ho Homerton, south Hackney SE13 Lew Lewisham, Hither Green E10 L Leyton SE14 N New Cross, New Cross Gate E11 LW Leytonstone, Wanstead SE15 P Peckham, Nunhead E12 M Manor Park SE16 R Rotherhithe, south Bermonsey, Surrey Docks E13 Pl Plaistow SE17 Wa Walworth, Elephant & Castle E14 Po Poplar, Isle of Dogs, Millwall SE18 Wo Woolwich, Plumstead E15 S Stratford, West Ham SE19 U Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace, Norwood E16 V Victoria Docks, Canning Town, North Woolwich SE20 A Anerley, Penge E17 Wa Walthamstow SE21 D Dulwich, West Dulwich E18 Wo Woodford (only South Woodford) SE22 E East Dulwich E20 20 (2012) Olympic Park, Stratford, Homerton, Leyton, Bow SE23 F Forest Hill EC1 NW Clerkenwell, Finsbury, Barbican SE24 H Herne Hill EC2 NE Moorgate, Liverpool Street SE25 So South Norwood EC3 SE Monument, Aldgate, Fenchurch St, Tower Hill SE26 Sy Sydenham EC4 SW Fleet St, Temple, Blackfriars, St Paul's SE27 W West Norwood, Tulse Hill N1 B Barnsbury, Canonbury, Islington, SE28 28 (1968) Thamesmead N2 E East Finchley, east part Hampstead Garden Suburb SW1 1 Westminster, Belgravia, Pimlico, Victoria N3 F c Finchley Central, Finchley Church End SW2 B Brixton, central and south Brixton, Streatham Hill N4 F s Finsbury Park, Manor House SW3 Ch Chelsea, Brompton N5 H b Highbury SW4 Cl Clapham N6 H g Highgate SW5 E Earl's Court N7 Hol Holloway, Lower Holloway SW6 F Fulham, Parson's Green N8 Hor Hornsey, Crouch End SW7 K Knightsbridge, South Kensington N9 L Lower Edmonton SW8 N Nine Elms, South Lambeth, Vauxhall N10 M Muswell Hill SW9 S Stockwell, north Brixton N11 Ne New Southgate, Friern Barnet SW10 W West Brompton, World's End N12 No North Finchley, Woodside Park SW11 Bat Battersea, Clapham Junction N13 P Palmers Green SW12 Bal Balham N14 Sg Southgate SW13 Bar Barnes, Castelnau N15 So South Tottenham, Seven Sisters SW14 M Mortlake, East Sheen N16 St Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill SW15 P Putney, Roehampton N17 T Tottenham SW16 S Streatham, Norbury N18 UE Upper Edmonton SW17 T Tooting N19 UH Upper Holloway, Archway, Tufnell Park SW18 Wa Wandsworth, Earlsfield N20 Wh Whetstone, Totteridge SW19 Wi Wimbledon, Merton, Collier's Wood N21 Wi Winchmore Hill SW20 WW W & S.Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Cottenham Park N22 Wo Wood Green, Alexandra Palace W1 1 West End: Mayfair, Soho, south Marylebone NW1 Ca Camden Town, Regent's Park, north Marylebone W2 2 Paddington, Bayswater, Hyde Park NW2 Cr Cricklewood, Dollis Hill, Neasden W3 A Acton NW3 Ha Hampstead, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage W4 C Chiswick NW4 He Hendon W5 E Ealing NW5 Ke Kentish Town W6 Ham Hammersmith NW6 Ki Kilburn, Queens Park, S & W Hampstead, Brondesbury W7 Han Hanwell NW7 M Mill Hill W8 K Kensington (central Kensington) NW8 S St John's Wood W9 M Maida Vale, Warwick Avenue, Maida Hill NW9 We West Hendon, Hyde, Kingsbury, Colindale W10 Nor North Kensington, Ladbroke Grove NW10 Wi Willesden, Harlesden, Kensal Green W11 Not Notting Hill, Holland Park NW11 11 Golders Green, west part Hampstead Garden Suburb W12 S Shepherd's Bush SE1 1 Bermondsey, Waterloo, South Bank, Borough, N Lambeth W13 W E West Ealing SE2 A Abbey Wood, Thamesmead South W14 W K West Kensington SE3 Bl Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Westcombe Park WC1 1 Bloomsbury, Gray's Inn SE4 Br Brockley, Crofton Park, Honor Oak Park WC2 2 Holborn, Strand, Covent Garden ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Postal codes of UK towns and counties, London districts Postal codes of UK extracted from "Daddy Why…..?" © David Foster 2016 Page 4 of 4 .