Opened: 1967
Original owner: Mecca Leisure
Sold to: Granada in 1977
Current Owner: Moto Trowell services on the M1 (in 2008)



Then:

Trowell Services in about 2008Trivia:
Originally themed as a "village", in Robin Hood/Sherrwood forest style. Restaurant area was called Sherrifs Restaurant, and another Marion's Pantry. There were lots of Heraldic decorations. Possibly inspired by themed bars at Butlins?

Featured in an episode of auf wiedersehn pet- A comedy about a group of North Eastern Builders. Any coincidence that the services name sounds like a builders tool? (trowell = trowel)

Ones named as a crime hotspot by Nottinghamshire police (link)

Originally the toilets were not accessible from inside the northbound complex, it being necessary to leave the building and move along the frontage to enter the toilet area. Recent re-development added a new frontage and additional space to a new ground floor caferia, bringing the toliet entrance well inside the complex.

The southbound 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)

Photos:

Trowell in its Mecca Village days.
Trowell in its Mecca Village days. The shop is ahead. Now how individual could a MSA get?
The World Famous Sheriff's Restaurant at Mecca Village- Trowell - Notts.
The World Famous Sheriff's Restaurant at Mecca Village- Trowell - Notts.
The Restaurant. These are from a postcard which describes it as "The World Famous Sheriff's Restaurant at Mecca Village- Trowell - Notts.
From Bobby Love (2015):

Bobby Love writes: (in 2015)
"Living close to this, I'm not surprised at the historic crime claims.. (Shottingham, right?) .. But we're all cleaned up and safe now guys! Honest! Anywho, it's obviously been completely refitted since it's Robin Hood days.. HOWEVER! there is still, on one hidden away wall at the top of a set of stairs leading to the bridge, the Burger King Robin hood wall, with a whole mural still there, looks like it was for parties maybe? very odd, but cool.. BK forever losing ability to take cards here, boooooo"

Thanks:
Ross Bowman
Gavin Spence
Received votes so far and a sample of comments:
People who prefer this MSA
10
People happy to visit
5
People who avoid this MSA
6
Selection of comments received
  • It hasnt had time to decay like many of the older services. - 2005-08-19
  • I think it was a fabulous statement about this countries commitment to road transport, back in the 60s. How different things turned out now that the motorist is used like a cash cow. - 2006-10-07
This is a very old site, and we used to have a voting/comment system here, but for now it is turned off, sorry. Please also note the comments above are very old too and won't necessarily reflect the current state of the site and reflect the opinion of a visitor to the website, not the view of the website operator.