Hatfield

Hatfield:

Road: M18 between J4 and J5
Location: Hatfield, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Date planned: 1975-1990
Grid reference: SE667088

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This is a once-planned service area on the M18. For the existing services at J5, see Doncaster (North).

Hatfield services would have been a motorway service area on the M18. It is a large site with the land considerably lower than the motorway passing through it (like at Rownhams) to reduce either the environmental impact or construction costs. Consequently it is now used unofficially as a skate park.

Emergency access would have been provided through Mill Hill Road, which was bisected by the motorway. The services include a subway under the motorway, again to reduce the impact and costs of a bridge, this and the sliproads are the only parts of the services which were built.

A 1976 government report suggested these services would be open by 1979, there is then talk of them happening throughout the 1980s but developers never showed any interest in them.

The services were never built because the operators weren't convinced that the M18, despite having little competition, had enough traffic to make a service area viable.

Modern Alternatives

After the government allowed operators to suggest potential sites for services in 1992, Pavilion decided the M18 would be a viable spot for a motorway service area. Rather than building it here they chose a site one mile to the north at J5, where only one set of facilities would be needed and it can serve the M180 as well as the M18.

One of the unused sliproads for the services now holds a sign for Doncaster services, just for irony's sake.