London Gateway Services

How does this MSA rate with our visitors?:
People who prefer this MSA 8
People happy to visit 8
People who avoid this MSA 5

Other Services On this Motorway:

Donington
Leicester Forest
Newport Pagnell
Northampton
Scratchwood
Tibshelf
Toddington
Trowell
Watford Gap
Woodall
Wooley Edge


Other Pages:
Home


Opened: 1969 as Scratchwood Services
Original owner: Forte
Renamed: 1999 as London Gateway
Current Owner: Welcome Break
Location: Between Junction 2 and Junction 4.

Trivia:

The guns of HMS Belfast are said to be trained on this MSA. HMS Belfast is permanently moored beside Tower Bridge and is open as a museum. And its 12.5 miles for a shell to travel from HMS Belfast to MSA.

A one site services, located on the Northbound side but accessible by southbound traffic by a bridge.

At the site of the non-existent Junction 3. Originally, J3 was to be a link road between M1 and A1. This was never built. The bridge was then used for the services- allowing southbound traffic across the motorway to the services.

Built on a disused railway yard.

A study by University College in London found that the first services outside a city gained 50% more trade than others. so Fortes went to town in designing this site, as both an advertisment for other Fortes services, and also learning by the mistakes of the other sites that had been developed in the 1960s.

In 2002 opened a 202-bedroom Days Inn hotel costing 10 Million pounds.
HMS Belfast:

"What do you mean you want to cancel our free breakfast "arrangement". Especially as my finger is dangerously near the fire button..."


Current:
recently redeveloped as part of the re-branding and renamed as London Gateway

The site currently has a 5 Star Loo of the year Award 2003 along with 33 others in the road transport category. (find best loos overall)

Still has a Sheerings Coaches interchange

Scratchwood- as first built. Today you won't see all this beautiful architecture, its all been covered or replaced.
Its just too good so lets have a closer look. No sharp edges here, even on the walls.
This part of scratchwood looks a little Spanish in influence. A world away from the typical boxes of the 1960s.
The Grill Room, in 1969
Entrance today (2006)

 

Thanks:
Phil Reynolds

Received votes so far and a sample of comments:
People who prefer this MSA 8
People happy to visit 8
People who avoid this MSA 5
Selection of comments received The access road is a sight to behold!! 30/05/2005 03:57:34
If you leave the M1 for this MSA too quickly, youll crash. I love the challenge of an MSA access road as much as the next irresponsible driver. Contrary to the comment above, the road that leads to London Gateway is a goat track 08/07/2005 16:22:53
24/06/2006 14:08:27
Do you have an opinion on your visit to this MSA? (pick one)
I prefer to visit this MSA in favour of other nearby ones
I would visit this MSA but have no preference for it
I prefer to avoid this MSA
Do you have any comments about this MSA? (e.g. cleanliness, bad points, good points)

This page is not associated with any company running any Motorway service areas. If you have any information you would like to contribute or correct, please email: gazza72@yahoo.com