Motorway Services Online

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West Wellow services

Location:

A36 at Ower Roundabout
(also accessible to traffic on the A3090)

Signposted from the road.

Postcode:

SO51 6GF

map and directions

Access/Layout:

Single site located at a junction.


A small service area on a roundabout close to M27 J2.

Facilities

Catering: McDonald's Drive Thru Outdoor Space: Picnic area next to McDonald's; Children's Play Area; public footpath connections Forecourt: Esso, Shop'N Drive, Costa Express, Skwishee Iced Drinks, West Cornwall Pasty Co., LPG (FloGas), Jet Wash, Free Cash Machine

Parking Prices

Use of the forecourt and car parking on the forecourt is limited to 20 minutes maximum stay from entry to exit, whilst HGV parking is limited to 60 minutes maximum stay. Both of these restrictions are strictly enforced by Horizon Parking.

Parking within the McDonald's car park is limited to 90 minutes maximum stay and is strictly enforced by ParkingEye.

This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
West Wellow Service Area
Romsey Road
Ower
Romsey
Hampshire
SO51 6GF


Trivia and History

A short length of road with houses along it; cones are placed across the entrance and various road signs say, 'private property', 'no parking for McDonalds customers', 'road closed' and 'diverted traffic to the right'.
The houses at the back of the service area, making every effort not to be confused with the car park next door.

Planning permission was sought by the family who ran Barton Stacey services; they then sold the majority of the land to developers in 1990. It was initially known as Ower services.

The service area was built on a long driveway with Shelley Nursery and some associated bungalows at the far end. Those bungalows can now only be accessed by driving through the service area. There was an additional house by the roundabout which had to be demolished.

At the time the roundabout served both the A36 and the A31, although the A31 here had already lost its status as an important route.

Proposals

EG Nash & Partners are the first developer in the records. They were only focused on building a Texaco forecourt, but they wanted it to be part of a "comprehensive TRSA" and published a number of indicative layouts showing a motorists' restaurant and several parking areas.

Their plans showed the possibility of building a restaurant to the west, north or east. One of these, which may have been published prematurely, named the restaurant as an 80-seat Little Chef. This one included space for a Travelodge too. The plans also included a landscaped picnic area at the eastern end, by the River Blackwater, which was provided but quickly became overgrown and is now abandoned.

Opening

Not long after the petrol station had opened, in 1993 the restaurant partner was announced as McDonald's. Their restaurant opened shortly after.

There was another attempt to build a Travelodge here in 1998 on the unused land at the western end of the site, but this was unable to secure planning permission.

The Star Market forecourt shop became a Somerfield, and then Co-op Food. The supermarkets wanted it known as 'West Wellow services'.

The petrol station was sold to Rontec in November 2019 and rebranded Esso, with the convenience store becoming Shop'N Drive.

Alternatives

Previous:Next:
Warminster (40 miles)Services on the A36Rownhams (M27 east, 5 miles)