Michaelwood services
Motorway service station in Gloucestershire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michaelwood services is a double sided motorway service station on the M5 motorway near Dursley, England. It is owned by Welcome Break.
| Michaelwood Services | |
|---|---|
View in July 2016 | |
  Michaelwood Services Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Information | |
| County | Gloucestershire |
| Road | M5 Motorway |
| Coordinates: | 51.656°N 2.431°W |
| Operator | Welcome Break |
| Date opened | 3 December 1971 |
| Website | welcomebreak |
History
The site was first announced in early October 1969, when the M5 had reached Avonmouth.[1] It is in Alkington, Gloucestershire.
It was built by George Wimpey, to take six months.[2] Wimpey had built two M5 sections from Almondsbury to Eastington, Stroud. The £5.35 million contract for Almondsbury to Michaelwood was given in early October 1969 for 8 miles (13 km).[3] The £5.6 million contract for Eastington to Michaelwood was awarded to Wimpey in mid-November 1969. This contract included the service area. This contract was the final section of construction of the M5 between Birmingham and Edithmead.[4] The architects were Peter Blair and Peter Curd. It was one of two experimental 'intermediate' service areas. The cafeteria would be open 7:00 am to 10.30 pm.
It opened on 3 December 1971, along with 19 miles (31 km) of the M5, which cost £14 million, with the opening ceremony next to the service area,[5] run by Mobil Motorway Services.[6] It was opened by Michael Heseltine, the 19 miles from Stroudwater to Almondsbury, forming 285 miles (459 km) of motorway to Cumbria. It was the first self-service motorway petrol station in the UK.[7]
The site was extended from June 1979 to March 1980,[8] costing £1 million.[9] A £145,000 steel footbridge was added during 1981.[10]
Incidents
On Tuesday 29 April 1997, the IRA claimed that a bomb was placed in the service area, and the M5 was closed from junctions 11 to 14.[11] Armed police were called at 8:00 am on 29 June 1999.[12]
Facilities
The site ran out of fuel in early December 1973, along with other M5 service areas,[13] and again in late May 1979.[14] Ross Motorway Services took over from early 1977, headquartered at Leicester Forest East services. Motoross became Welcome Break in the mid-1980s.[citation needed]
It was underestimated how popular the services would be in the 1970s and early 1980s, in the summer.[15]
On St George's Day in 1983 the restaurant had a themed menu, and guests were greeted by a staff member dressed as a dragon.[16]
The service area received a glowing report by Which? Magazine in July 1991, describing the restaurant as being 'peaceful' and 'attractively decorated'. Pont Abraham Services was also praised. It also gave Strensham services a terrible report (along with Farthing Corner and Charnock Richard services), but that was often due to long queues, and dirty toilets.[17][18]
Throughout February 1992 the site offered a free meal to anyone called Michael Wood, with other service areas offering the same to such eponymous guests.[19][20]