When you enter your destination postcode into your satnav do you ever wonder where it all started? Wonder no more, because the answer is right here >>
The first-ever postcodes were trialled in Norwich in 1959 and the UK rollout of postcodes wasn't completed until 1974.
How would we have managed these days without postcodes? We would have many more people walking around lost and food deliveries ending up all over the place!
The postcode system was originally created to speed up the delivery of letters across the country. During the mid-1900s more and more letters were being sent because posting mail had become more popular but there was no system in place. It was hard to distinguish between two different streets with the same name which then led to a lot of confusion and slow deliveries. To combat this problem a system of postcodes was developed and the first trial was conducted here in Norwich. The new system proved very effective and after the successful trial in Norwich, the country was divided into different postal districts. For example, in Norwich, NOR was used to represent the city and was followed by three characters which highlighted which street a letter needed to be delivered to. The postcode system continued to expand and develop and by the mid-1980s postcodes could be read automatically by machines.
Norwich, like the other big cities around the county, was eventually divided up into different postal districts such as NR2, NR7 and NR14. Modern postcodes include the postal district, such as NR4, followed by three characters to identify a specific area in that district and the Royal Mail estimates that there are currently over 1.7 million postcodes covering around 28 million addresses across the UK. Today, postcodes have become hugely important not just to help streamline the postal service but also for satnavs, postcode lotteries, credit checks and for voting in elections. Postcodes also play a crucial role in the property market and they can have a very significant impact on property prices. Some people aspire to live in a certain postcode while others have started campaigns to change their postcode.
Choosing where to live can be a very difficult and daunting decision but, as the largest independent estate agent in Norwich, we have an intimate knowledge of all of the different areas of the city. This means that we can make recommendations based on your situation such as whether you are looking for somewhere near a good school, close to the city centre or with good bus routes. As an independent estate agent in Norwich, we also keep up to date with developments in the property market in the city which means we can give you an accurate valuation of your house to ensure you get the best possible price.
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