South Mimms

South Mimms
Welcome Break
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Road:	M25 at J23 A1(M) at J1 (also accessible to traffic on the A1 and the A1081)
Address:	The Welcome Break Welcome Break Service Station Bignell's Corner South Mimms Potters Bar Hartsfordshire EN6 3QQ
Telephone number:	01707 646333
Signposted from the road?	As Starbucks/Waitrose
Opened:	1987
Grid reference:	TL230002
Services type:	Single site located at a junction.
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South Mimms is situated at the roundabout of the M25 and A1(M). It has supreme local access, and recent refurbishments mean it is pretty modern. They claim to offer special facilities for truckers.

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Facilities

General: BT Openzone, Welcome Break Gaming, Traffic Information, Meeting Room, Showers
Restaurants: Starbucks, Burger King, Eat In, KFC
Shops: WH Smith, Fonebitz, Waitrose
Fuel: BP (pump types unknown)
Motel: Days Inn^{[book rooms]}

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8, which includes a £2 meal voucher. The truckstop costs £23.50 on weekdays and £12.50 on weekends.

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

Trivia

The services were opened by Margaret Thatcher on 6th June 1987 but they had to be rebuilt in 1998 after a large fire caused by an unattended frying pan in Julie's Pantry. This makes them both the newest and the oldest services on the M25, and the temporary building which was used whilst the services were being re-built was then sold in an online auction.

The services are off a busy roundabout, however its location presents an even bigger problem for the police. Over time, several illegal activities have been uncovered here, largely due to its location being where two major routes cross, one coming out of London (where South Mimms is the first service area you'd pass) and one heading towards the Channel Ports.

The services were mentioned in Ian Sinclair's book 'London Orbital', which came to the conclusion that it was dire and in need of a refurbishment, with traffic queueing to leave the site and join the main junction. A few weeks later, he said things had improved. They also starred several times in Sky's 'Brainiac: Science Abuse' and 'EastEnders', and Robbie Williams has sang in the car park.

The services' site compromises of several things, including a works unit. The only sensible route between the motorways and the village of South Mimms is to leave at the junction and drive through the services, where there is a link road to the village. This feature is pretty much exclusive to the services, and similarly they are the only service area connected to the national cycle routes. National Cycle Network route 12, also known as the Great North Way, runs from Hadley Wood to Hatfield via the services, and then it continues towards the North East.

Roger Green wrote a book on the services titled 'Destination Nowhere: A South Mimms Motorway Service Station Diary'.

Development

Full details: Bignell's Corner

The services are on the site of an old truckstop known as the Beacon Café. They were originally owned by BP who leased the site out to Welcome Break.

Survey Results

Lord Adonis (Secretary of State for Transport) wasn't impressed by the services when he visited in September 2009, as the toilets were closed throughout his visit and there was a lot of confusion.

In 2008 the services won a five star loo award.

In 2007, South Mimms won a five star loo award. In 2006 it received four stars.

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: Anonymous yes its bt openzone wifi however i believe its free Posted: 23 Aug 2010, 02:15 WIFI seeker Is WIFI at this service station? How much do they charge? Posted: 19 Aug 2010, 15:46 jan.anna Can you park at South Mimms over the weekend as i am travelling to stanstead but someone is picking me up at South Mimms..... what are charges and how much and how do you pay Posted: 12 Jul 2010, 22:40 Anonymous I feel it my place to clarify, having had extensive contact and dealings with welcome break. The policy on tea and "hot water" is thus. Staff cannot give out hot water for health and safety reasons. Without a customer purchasing a product from welcome break (IE: Tea) they are not insured for the hot water component of that product. So, if a customer buys a tea, they're insured, but if you want just hot water, then you will be refused on the grounds that you have not bought a product, and therefore are not insured for that product. So effectively, you would have to buy a tea and not use the tea bag just to get the hot water - fact of life unfortunately. And in reply to one comment - you can pay your congestion charge at any WHSmiths on the Welcome Break network! Posted: 29 Nov 2009, 17:57 PeterC Yes the rats and the wagtails are both very prominent residents in the car park. I just hope that the former are staying there. I have to stop there frequently on a Sunday evening and the new Waitrose is going to be a blessing. Posted: 21 May 2009, 20:03 Anonymous Stopped at South Mimms on way to Heathrow on 25th April 2009. It was daylight (altho' evening time) and we saw five rats running around out in the open near the sliding doors to the service station. A week later we returned and again saw rats with no obvious fear of humans happily wandering around the service area. We also heard other customers commenting on the number of rats. Posted: 09 Apr 2009, 20:07 jackie My friend only drinks hot water. I drink tea. 'Eat In' would not serve her hot water for health and safety reasons, but they served me the tea! My friend asked for a mug of hot water and a tea bag, which they WOULD serve. She then tore up the tea bag, gave it to them back and took the hot water. Am I going mad or is this really happening??? Posted: 29 Mar 2009, 19:34 Johnny Again, you'll have to ask Welcome Break, but I don't see why it can't be done in the WH Smith. Posted: 22 Mar 2009, 21:09 jack can you pay congestion charges at south mimms?? Posted: 16 Mar 2009, 19:42 Johnny You will need to ask Welcome Break themselves. Posted: 25 Aug 2008, 14:37
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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