Popham services
(former)
| Road: | A33 Winchester Road |
| Address: | Popham Service Station Winchester Road Popham Hampshire SO21 3BQ |
| Closed: | 1985 |
| Services type: | Single site located between junctions on one side of the road |
This page is about the former service station. For the only official service area on the A33, see Swallowfield near Reading.
Today there is a Popham services on the A303, but this name was originally given to a very similar site on the A33 southbound. The two roads were both accessed from different directions at M3 J8.
The A33 was the historic route from London to the South West, and Popham was on the section between Basingstoke and Winchester. The new M3 only went as far as Popham in the 1970s, so Popham services was set up half a mile to the south, in a lay-by which had been created when the A33 was previously upgraded. It was on the site of an old school.
The service area featured a Texaco petrol station, a workshop, a Little Chef restaurant in a converted house and separate toilet facilities. A former vicarage was also accessed through the service area.
While there was an ongoing proposal to continue the M3 to Southampton, it would be a long way from happening. The extended road opened in May 1985 and saw the A33 turned into a deserted shadow of its former glory. At this point the service area closed.
The old petrol station was taken over by a caravan sales centre in 1985. This was expanded in 1986, but still used the old forecourt sales shop. The restaurant survived in a dilapidated state for some time, but it was significantly damaged when a vehicle deliberately collided with it. It was demolished in 1992.
Area Map
This is an automatically generated map of the surrounding area. You can use the button on the right to switch between a map and an aerial photo. Historic maps may be available at SABRE Maps.
🗺 Grid reference: SU550431 | See GeoHack for modern layers