Membury services
| Membury Services | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Membury Services Location within Berkshire | |
| Information | |
| County | Berkshire |
| Road | M4 |
| Coordinates: | 51°28′51″N1°33′25″W/ 51.4807°N 1.5569°W |
| Operator | Welcome Break |
| Date opened | February 1972 (partly), May 1973 (full) |
| Website | welcomebreak |
Membury servicesis amotorway service stationon theM4 motorway,located on the original site ofRAF Memburyin thecivil parishofLambournin the English county ofBerkshire,close to the boundary withWiltshire,4 miles (6.4 km) west of Junction 14. It is owned byWelcome Breakand is situated adjacent to theMembury Radio Mast.
History
[edit]The service area was built byRoss Group,after[clarification needed]Leicester Forest East,withHartshead Moor services.[1]
Construction
[edit]The services were built by Monk. Planning consent had been given in July 1970.[2]
Food
[edit]It was designed by Howard V Lobb, to have three restaurants:[3]
- truckers, 80 seats
- general self-service cafeteria area, 180 seats
- grill room, with waitress service, 120 seats
Opening
[edit]The eastbound side only opened for petrol and toilets in February 1972, but there were no meals until October 1972. The westbound side opened on Thursday 15 June 1972, with a snack bar, in aportakabin.[4]By March 1973, it was announced that the full service area would open at the end of May 1973.
On 22 December 1971, a fifty-mile stretch of the M4 was opened betweenBadbury, Wiltshirenear Swindon, and theHolyport Interchangeon theA423(M);it was opened at 11 am byMichael Heseltine,and his daughter Alexandria, at the Holyport Interchange. The M4 section was the longest stretch of motorway to be opened in England, since theM1in 1959. The service area is on the Theale to Shefford Woodlands section, which is sixteen and a half miles (27 km) long; the route was announced in December 1966, but altered in November 1967 after objections.[5]The only services on the M4 in December 1971 were atHestonandAust;Membury opened in February 1972; more service areas had been planned, but never built. TheWinnersh Interchange,with the two-and-a-half mile (4 km)A329(M),opened in early 1973.
Buildings
[edit]Shell would run the pumps.[6]
Planned services on the M4
[edit]Other M4 service areas were planned at Warren Copse nearShurlock RowandWaltham St Lawrence(B3018), Furze Hill (B4009,Hermitage, Berkshire), and Ashes Copse nearBradfield, Berkshire;in June 1972,Berkshire County Councillooked at Upper Wood Farm on Cutbush Lane inEarley,owned by theUniversity of Reading.[7]
Facilities
[edit]Membury is one of five services which have aStarbucksdrive-thru: the others areFleet(Northbound only)M3,Warwick(Southbound only)M40,Hartshead Moor(Eastbound only)M62andGordanoM5.
The service station is one of fourteen for which large murals were commissioned from artistDavid Fisherin the 1990s, designed to reflect the local area and history.[8]
The services were constructed along with this section of the M4 between 1969 and 1971 by Arthur Monk and Co Ltd.[citation needed]
TheIron Agehillfort,Membury Camp,lies to the immediate southwest of the old airfield and the services.
References
[edit]- ^Leicester Daily MercuryTuesday 19 January 1971, page 35
- ^Reading Evening PostMonday 12 March 1973, page 9
- ^Reading Evening PostSaturday 11 December 1971, page 3
- ^Reading Evening PostThursday 15 June 1972, page 3
- ^Reading Evening PostWednesday 22 December 1971, page 12
- ^Reading Evening PostFriday 31 December 1971, page 6
- ^Reading Evening PostWednesday 12 April 1972, page 4
- ^"David Fisher - Somerset Art - Commercial Works & Commissions".Archived fromthe originalon 25 October 2009.Retrieved6 February2010.
External links
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