Birchanger Green

Birchanger Green
Welcome Break
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Road:	M11 at J8 (also accessible to traffic on the A120 and the B1256)
Address:	Birchanger Green Service Station Dunmow Road Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 5QZ
Telephone number:	01279 653388
Signposted from the road?	As Starbucks/Waitrose
Opened:	1995
Grid reference:	TL512215
Services type:	Single site located at a junction.
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A single service area located at a busy junction at the exit to Stansted Airport. The hotel was recently extended.

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Facilities

General: Picnic Area, BT Openzone, Welcome Break Gaming, Children's Play Area, Traffic Information, Conference Rooms, Showers
Restaurants: Starbucks, Burger King, Eat In, KFC
Shops: WH Smith, Fonebitz, Waitrose
Fuel: Shell (pump types unknown)
Motel: Days Inn, Days Hotel

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8 and caravans, coaches and HGVs £22.50. These prices include a £2/£8 food voucher respectively.

Prices can be paid in the shop and restaurant, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by ParkingEye.

Trivia

It's not clear when Birchanger opened but it was planned as far back as 1981. Several plans were rejected for various reasons until 1990, when on was finally permitted. It is the only service station on the M11, but one at Chigwell was originally proposed near J5.

Throughout the late nineties Birchanger Green's junction was heavily congested until major improvement works saw a new junction, J8a, constructed within the existing one to get traffic in and out of Stansted Airport much quicker. It is still a complicated junction, particularly for southbound traffic, but it's not as busy as it used to be.

The motel at Birchanger is actually cheaper than Stansted's on-site one, and for that reason it is endorsed by several travel advice websites. A 77-bedroom "Days Hotel" was recently added alongside the existing 60-bedroom one as part of a £3m development.

During 2006 a Sainsbury's store was trialled here, but it was removed as it only had a licence for 6 months and hadn't been much of a success. Before opening the store, Welcome Break had to do a lot of negotiating with the Highways Agency who were concerned that the store would lead to local people using the services, making it a destination in its own right. Welcome Break kept using Moto's connection with M&S as a reason for them to open up the store.

The services have a small birdwatching site. When you drive in, the petrol facilities are offered before you reach the amenity building. Normally it's the other way round.

Survey Results

In 2008 the services won a five star loo award.

In 2006 and again in 2007, the petrol station's toilets were given a three-star loo award. The services themselves were rated four-star.

Alternatives

Comments and Reviews

Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
Author: Message: GL Oxted Avoid if at all possible if your traveling south, must be one of the the worst services to get to! You have to go through 3 to 4 sets of red lights from the M11 to the services, then 4 sets to get back on the M11, petrol was priced at £1.249 ltr 10p a ltr more than I paid later when I got to Lakeside. Posted: 28 Jul 2010, 18:33 David I think strictly speaking one hotel on the site is a Days Inn and one is a Days Hotel - I believe the latter is supposed to be slightly more up-market. Posted: 28 Jul 2010, 18:18 Paul Our daughter left her bag at Birchanger on a school trip, phoned v upset from motorway. Staff at services could not have been more helpful, tracking the bag down, storing it, and eventually posting it back. Never been there myself, but staff were brilliant. Posted: 07 Jun 2010, 11:56 Colin There was no soap in the Gent's toilets on Saturday. Dreadful! There were not even any empty soap dispensers so soap is just even considered essential!!! Posted: 31 Mar 2008, 16:56
Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.

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