Motorway Services Online

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Fictional names

Most government drawings of sample road signs will use fictional place names. This avoids confusion caused by unrealistic directions, and avoids any upset from places which do or don't want to be featured. This is especially important when dealing with motorway brands.

The place names below have been used on government drawings related to service areas. They are considered "fictional" because they are not based on any real-life roads; they are all designed to sound like realistic British place names, and many of them probably are the names of small villages, which may or may not be a coincidence.

The earliest motorway signs did use real examples in their demonstrations. For motorway service areas, a sign for Forton services was used in most documents, even in the Highway Code. The Forton name was used on drawings for A-road service areas too.

Name Type Signs Notes Example
Puddleworth Motorway service area and truckstop All service area direction signs - Diagrams 2917.1, 2919.1, 2919.3, 2920.1, 2920.2, 2310.1, 2311.1, 2311.2, 2919.2 and 2929
The most common example, appears in the Highway Code. Drawing of a black road sign saying Puddleworth truckstop ½mile.
Axtley
Westville
Truckstop Diagram 2919.2, Diagram 2919.4
Used in the Traffic Signs Manual Drawing of a black road sign saying Westville truckstop 1m, owned by Good Food.
Odford
Westville
Woodhouse
Motorway service area Diagram 2917.1, 2919.3 Introduced in 2012, as the list sign now needed names and not operators. Woodhouse is on the M5 north, the other two are on the M4, Odford is also included on Diagram 2919.3. Drawing of a blue road sign saying Services, Odford 1m, Puddleworth 2m, Westville 20m, Woodhouse 10m.
Odford
Emberry
Felick
Motorway service area 2917.1 One drawing has Odford 1m away and Emberry 25m away. Another has Odford 8m away on the M40, Emberry 25m away on the M25 north and Felick 23m away on the M25 south. Those measurements could match a sign on the A40 heading out of London, but the regulations state this sign isn't allowed on A-roads.
Good Food Operator Advance direction signs (diagrams 2919.1 and 2920.1) The owner of Puddleworth and Odford services. One variant of diagram 2920.1, used to illustrate a stylised headerboard, had the operator named 'Goode Food' and owning Kirkby services. "Goode Egg" is used as Part 24, Item 15. Drawing of a blue road sign saying Puddleworth services ½m, owned by Good Food, with symbols showing LPG, a coffee cup, a fork and spoon, a picnic table, tourist information and a bed, and petrol for 85p.
Steakade
Roadcook
Woodhouse Fifty
Good Egg
Operators Diagram 2917 (the list of forthcoming services) Roadcook sounds suspiciously like Roadchef. No longer used. In recent years only the first one or two were shown, but in the 1980s all four were used on different drawings. Drawing of a blue road sign saying Services, Steakade 1m, Roadcook 20m, Woodhouse Fifty 10m.
Smith
Bloggs
Strongs
Wrights
Blakes
Friers
Operators Diagram 838.2 Used in the 1981 reports only.
Kirkby Rest area, services New signs 2919.3, 2920.2, 2921.2, 2921.3, 2910.2, 2311.3, 2311.4 and 2310.2 (rest areas) Currently only used in Circular 01/2008 as this is the only document to deal with rest areas. Shares its name with a town in Merseyside. An older drawing of diagram 2920.1 was also used for 'Kirkby services'. Drawing of a blue road sign saying Kirkby rest area ½m, with symbols showing WC, a petrol pump, LPG, a coffee cup, a picnic table and tourist information.
Northwood Service area not on Primary or Motorway route Direction signs on all-purpose roads, "Know your Traffic Signs" Only featured in government document Know your Traffic Signs Drawing of a white road sign saying Northwood services ½m, with symbols showing WC, a petrol pump, LPG, a fork and spoon, a wheelchair and a hotel bed.
Thorpe St Michael Village providing local facilities Signs for local facilities - diagrams 2308.1 and 2309.1 Drawing of a white road sign saying Thorpe St Michael local facilities, with an arrow pointing to the right and symbols showing WC, a petrol pump, a coffee shop, a fork and spoon, tourist information and a hotel bed.
M41 Motorway Diagram 2330: 'No services on M41'. Used to be a motorway in Central London; whilst it didn't have any service areas, it never had this sign. Drawing of a blue road sign saying No services on M41.

The example A-road service area signs don't normally give any names.